CANBERRA - China
will only use Australian uranium for peaceful
purposes, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said as
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
signed two agreements April 3 with China's Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing on supplying uranium to
China. The agreements, signed following a meeting
between Wen and Australian Prime Minister John
Howard, cover nuclear transfer and nuclear
cooperation.
"[The uranium purchases are]
solely for peaceful purposes," Wen told a media
conference. "China and Australia are both members
of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]
and therefore
when
we proceed with our nuclear cooperation we must
observe the principles of the Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). The agreement we entered has
provided safeguards for the peaceful purposes of
our nuclear cooperation. We must proceed with our
cooperation in this field on the basis of mutual
respect, mutual benefit and equality."
Howard said he was satisfied safeguards
would be enforced. "It is on that basis that the
agreements have been signed," he said. "In
relation to the capacity constraints, the supply
constraints, there are signs that the three mine
policy [intended to limit uranium mining in
Australia to no more than three mines] is already
crumbling. We will examine that and watch
developments in that area with great interest."
The government will also in time examine
what other capacities it had to expand supply, if
that became necessary, he said. "It's a little
early to be contemplating that."
No
difference to weapons programs: Downer
Supplying Australian uranium to China would make
no difference to China's nuclear weapons program,
Downer said in an ABC Radio interview. It was
nothing more than a scare campaign to claim that
supplying uranium from Australia would free up
other uranium for use in China's nuclear weapons,
he said.
"Honestly, China has a nuclear
weapons program whether we like it or not. It's
not going to make the slightest difference whether
we have this agreement with China or whether we
don't to their nuclear weapons program, absolutely
no difference at all," he said.
"But it is
going to make a difference to their capacity to
develop energy. At the moment China is the world's
second-largest user of energy after the US. The
prospects for Chinese consumption of energy over
the next 20 years are simply massive. The more
they use nuclear power, the more they will be
using cleaner energy and the better that won't
just be for the Chinese people. That will be
better for the international community including
in the contest of greenhouse emissions."
Downer noted that the April 3 agreement
meant Australia would have the capacity to track
uranium produced in Australian mines. "If it's to
be used for a purpose other than the purpose
defined in the treaty, then that will be clear to
us and that would be of course a clear breach of
the treaty," he said. "I don't have any worries
about [diversion of uranium for non-civilian
purposes]. It's just the same as the other
agreement we have with a raft of other countries
in that respect."
The foreign minister
rejected arguments from environmental groups that
say nuclear power is no answer to climate change.
"Some of these green groups are getting left
behind in the argument. What they want is China to
continue to increase its use of coal-fired power
stations," he said. "Now, 80% of [the] energy in
China is generated from coal-fired power stations.
They are incredibly dirty. Anybody who has been to
Chinese cities knows that pollution is a major
problem. It just stands to reason that nuclear
power is great deal cleaner. Nuclear waste can be
stored safely."
The community was
beginning to grow out of this kind of "scare
campaign", arguing that the use of nuclear energy
would blow up the world, he said.
Agreements signed in other
fields In addition to the uranium
agreement, China and Australia signed various
other agreements and documents designed to
strengthen economic and trade relations and
bilateral cooperation in other fields.
The
documents included a treaty on mutual legal
assistance in criminal matters, a statement of
intent regarding an agricultural technical
cooperation program, a program for young
scientists' exchanges and three memorandums of
understanding on establishing high-level economic
cooperation dialogues - on coal mine safety and in
education and training.
The relevant
ministries or departments from both sides also
signed several protocols or cooperative documents
concerning issues including Australia's exports of
citrus fruits and edible deer products to China.
Meanwhile, a number of commercial contracts and
deals on mineral products, natural gas and
electric power were also signed.
Wen
calls for free trade deal While in
Australia, Wen reiterated China's desire for a
free trade deal with the South Pacific nation,
saying China wants a breakthrough on a free trade
deal with Australia within two years.
After a meeting with Howard on Monday, Wen
said talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) should
be fast-tracked. "On this issue, the prime
minister and I reached an important consensus ...
on the timetable for this negotiation," Wen told
reporters.
"In the next one or two years,
China and Australia should work together to strive
for breakthroughs on major issues related to the
FTA negotiation so as to lay the foundation for
the arrival of an overall agreement in that field.
China and Australia should work together to
enhance economic cooperation on all fields and, at
present, what is more important for the two
countries is to expedite a negotiation process for
the establishment of a free trade area between the
two sides."
Last year, during a visit by
Howard to Beijing, the two countries began
negotiations on a free trade agreement that would
help give Australian exporters access to China's
1.3 billion consumers. However, Australian
negotiators have acknowledged the agreement could
take years to finalize.
