INTERNATIONAL: China urged the United States and Australia to stop fabricating and spreading false information. China also told the U.S, Australia, and the UK to come clean over nuclear weapon material transfer involved in AUKUS.

A meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors was held in Vienna, Austria on Monday. It is the third time that the IAEA board meeting has incorporated the AUKUS issue into its agenda, reflecting the serious concerns of the international community over the trilateral deal.

The meeting decided by consensus to set up a formal agenda item on the "Transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)" at China's proposal, Wang said, who added that the nuclear weapons materials involved in trilateral nuclear submarine cooperation should not be kept outside the international non-proliferation regime.

"This fully reflects the concerns of the international community over the transfer of nuclear weapons materials involved in the nuclear submarine cooperation among the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The three countries must face up to the concerns of the international community. The self-deceiving tricks will never work," said Wang.

Wang called on the three countries to adopt a responsible attitude toward the international community, fulfill their legal obligations on nuclear non-proliferation, and immediately and comprehensively report to the IAEA all relevant information about the nuclear weapon material transfer under AUKUS.

Wang expressed hope that the IAEA board meeting would continue to focus on the core issues of AUKUS and seek solutions to safeguard the NPT and the international non-proliferation regime.

In September 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia announced the establishment of AUKUS, under which the U.S. and Britain will assist Australia in its acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday urged Australia to stop engaging in provocations against China.

Spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks in response to the latest statement made by Australian Department of Defense, which says an Australian warplane was intercepted by a Chinese military aircraft on May 26 while conducting the reconnaissance mission in airspace over the South China Sea.

"On May 26, an Australian Air Force P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft entered the airspace close to China's Xisha Islands for close-in reconnaissance, and continuously approached the territorial airspace of Xisha Islands in disregard of China's repeated warnings. The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to identify and verify the Australian aircraft and warned it to leave," said Zhao.

"The Australian military aircraft seriously threatened China's sovereignty and security, and the response measures taken by the Chinese military were professional, safe, reasonable and legal. The Australian side sought to confound black and white and repeatedly spread the false narrative which is aimed at inciting antagonism and confrontation. China is firmly against this. We urge the Australian side to immediately stop such dangerous and provocative acts and seriously dissuade its air and naval forces from such acts. Otherwise, any serious consequence arising therefrom shall be borne by the Australian side," Zhao continued.

The spokesman also said that "a sound and steady China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests and meets the common desire of the two peoples."

"China's position on its relations with Australia is consistent and clear. The Australian side needs to manage the bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and bring China-Australia relations back onto the right track of sound and steady progress," said Zhao.

China also urged the United States to stop fabricating and spreading false information, and stop being proud as an "empire of lies", said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Zhao made the remarks after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been forced to pause the work of the "Disinformation Governance Board", only 21 days after being established by the U.S. government amid strong questioning voices.

The board head Nina Jankowicz also resigned after the program was paused.

"The 'Disinformation Governance Board' deserves to be questioned, since the U.S. government itself is the world's biggest spreader of false information," said Zhao.

"The U.S. politicians can tell lies as they wish, but it is the ordinary people who fall victims to false information, even at the cost of their lives," he said, citing the civilians in Iraq and Syria, for example.

Zhao pointed out that at the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. government played down the severity and urgency of the novel coronavirus transmission and instead, persisted in spreading false information about the source of the virus.

The misinformation on the epidemic made the U.S. the country worst hit by the epidemic, with the world's most cases and deaths, he said.

"The more lies the U.S. government tells, the more its reputation deficits will be. The U.S. should stop fabricating and spreading false information, and no longer be proud as being an 'empire of lies'," said the spokesman.