China condemns Australia-US nuclear sub deal
BEIJING - Beijing on Thursday slammed a new US alliance with Australia and Britain, under which Canberra will acquire nuclear submarine technology, as an “extremely irresponsible” threat to regional stability.
The agreement “seriously undermines regional peace and stability and intensifies the arms race”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing. The Western allies did not mention China when unveiling the submarine deal on Wednesday, but their intent was clear, with each referring to regional security concerns.
US president Joe Biden, Britain’s prime minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison announced the new defence pact on Wednesday evening. The announcement comes as Australia has been boosting defence spending with a wary eye on a rapidly rising and more assertive China.
The alliance is seen as a bid to offset China’s growing economic and military reach in the Asia-Pacific region. “The export of highly sensitive nuclear submarine technology by the United States and Britain to Australia once again proves that they use nuclear exports as a tool of geopolitical games and adopt double standards, which is extremely irresponsible,” Zhao said. He added that the deal gave regional countries “reason to question Australia’s sincerity in abiding by its nuclear nonproliferation commitments”.
He urged the Western allies to “abandon their outdated Cold War zero-sum thinking” or risk “shooting themselves in the foot”.
Meanwhile, defence secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday said Britain was not out to “antagonise the French” but accepted their frustration about Australia’s decision to scrap a submarine deal with Paris. France has called Canberra’s move “a stab in the back” after it abandoned a contract for diesel-powered subs in favour of nuclear-powered ones from the United States. But Wallace told the BBC television: “I understand France’s disappointment... the Australians have taken this decision that they want to make a change.
“We didn’t go fishing for that but as a close ally, when the Australians approached us, of course we would consider it. I understand France’s frustration about it.” Wallace told Sky News separately France remained one of Britain’s closest military allies, adding: “We have no intention of doing anything to antagonise the French.”
“It’s right that the UK, alongside other allies such as Australia stand up for the rules-based system and international law,” he told the BBC.
Diplomatic ties between London and Beijing have been strained, notably over concerns about an authoritarian crackdown in Britain’s former colony of Hong Kong.
This week, China’s ambassador to London was banned from speaking to pro-Beijing lawmakers at parliament, after China sanctioned critical British MPs.
China has also been angered at British criticism of alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.