Xi slams our subs deal in speech
CHINA’S President Xi Jinping has personally criticised the Australian government’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK.
Mr Xi made opposition to Australia’s new security pact with the US and UK – dubbed AUKUS – one of the centrepieces of a major speech he gave to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“We need to pursue dialogue instead of confrontation, build partnerships instead of alliances, and make concerted efforts to address the various negative factors that might threaten or undermine peace,” China’s strongman leader said in a speech
Mr Xi – who dominates China’s political system and is overseeing a huge military build-up – said making “a peaceful home together” was one of his five proposals for Southeast Asia.
He said China would never “bully smaller countries”, before swiping Australia’s new nuclear submarine agreement.
“China supports ASEAN’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon-free zone, and is prepared to sign the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone as early as possible,” he said.
China is one of nine countries in the world that has nuclear weapons and, following Mr Xi’s orders, is rapidly growing its stockpile.
The AUKUS agreement is for nuclear-powered submarines, not nuclear-armed submarines, but Beijing has for months suggested Australia might use it to acquire nuclear weapons.
Mr Xi’s propaganda machine and foreign ministry joined their leader in the pile on. Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the party-state controlled Global Times that AUKUS was the target of Mr Xi’s speech.
“[S]tressing support for the nuclear weapons-free zone targets the irresponsible behaviour of nuclear proliferation made by the US-led AUKUS alliance,” Mr Li told the tubthumping party tabloid.
The China Daily, a more restrained party mouthpiece, cited criticism of the submarine deal by former prime minister Paul Keating in their editorial titled: “Canberra being yes-man of troublemaking US”.
“Australia should try to become an upholder of peace in the region, rather than a yesman at troublemaking Uncle Sam’s beck and call,” the China Daily said.
That editorial was accompanied by a cartoon of a kangaroo with a nuclear submarine in its pouch, a displaced crying joey, and Uncle Sam and another man in a black top-hat, each counting separate wads of cash.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also echoed his leader’s attack.
In a separate answer to a question from the Global Times, Mr Zhao launched a lengthy personal attack on Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton.