Nuclear tension in the Pacific: Three countries agreed, strong reaction from China
China has reacted to its plan to deploy nuclear submarines in Australia, with the support of the United States and Britain.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Venbin accused the three countries of “setting the world on a dangerous path for their own selfish interests.”
Nuclear-powered submarines are planned to be deployed in Australia under AUKUS, which is seen as a step against China. US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met at the Point Loma naval base in California and announced that they have agreed on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles also said that after the largest military buildup in the region since World War II, the nuclear-powered submarine production deal signed with the UK and US under AUKUS. Emphasizing that great diplomatic efforts had gone into the deal in question for months, Marles noted that Australia should take action against military activity in the Pacific.
While China warned that the deal in question could lead to an increase in the arms race and proliferation of nuclear weapons, Marles said: “Our concerns about military buildups in the region are that they are done irrationally and make neighbors feel uncomfortable about why. they are being done. That is why we say that we put so much effort into explaining why we have taken these steps.”
A FIRST NUCLEAR COMPETITION
The “AUKUS” agreement, which provides for cooperation in the field of nuclear submarine technology, was signed in 2021 between the US, the UK and Australia. At least 8 nuclear-powered submarines will be built in the shipyards of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia, under the security agreement “AUKUS”, which consists of the abbreviation of the names of the three countries in English.
After AUKUS, Australia will register as the first country to get nuclear submarines before coming to “nuclear power”.
THE CRISIS STARTED WITH FRANCE
In September 2021, Australia canceled the A$90 billion contract with the French Naval Group for the construction of 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines. The cancellation of the contract caused a crisis between France and Australia, with France withdrawing its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington in response to AUKUS.
Australia’s Prime Minister at the time, Scott Morrison, claimed that Australia had informed France in advance about the cancellation of the deal. French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that Morrison lied. (AGENCIES)