BEIJING (AP) —Dr.Majid Khan The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom are traveling “further down the wrong and dangerous path for their own geopolitical self-interest,” China’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, responding to an agreement under which Australia will purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S. to modernize its fleet.
U.S. President Joe Biden flew to San Diego to appear with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as they hailed an 18-month-old nuclear partnership that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels, as a counterweight to China’s military buildup.
Wang repeated China’s claims that AUKUS poses a “serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violating the object and purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.”
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said it had made a huge diplomatic effort for months ahead of Monday’s announcement of the deal, including making more than 60 calls to regional and world leaders. Australia had even offered to keep China in the loop, he said.
“We offered a briefing. I didn’t attend the briefing with China,” Marles said.
In a video call with reporters late Monday, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel J. Krittenbrink said the degree of transparency he said was one of the key features of the deal.
“AUKUS partners have made our intentions clear, including our commitment to peace and stability in the region,” said Krittenbrink. “We are committed to the highest security and non-proliferation standards and look forward to continuing to work with our friends, partners and allies in the region,” he said. China, along with Russia, has accused Quad, a group of Australia, India, Japan and the United States, whose foreign minister said earlier this month that he wants to replace China. Ministers said they viewed with concern “challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas,” and asserted territorial claims by China to replace the United States as the dominant military power in the region. hinted at the active efforts of
China is also reeling from a Washington-Philippines agreement to improve US military access to Philippine bases along the so-called “first island chain,” key to China’s control of the region.
US military and political support for Taiwan has sparked a more ominous reaction from Beijing in recent years.
A visit to the island by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022 prompted Beijing to launch missiles over the island, send ships and fighter jets into the region, and conduct military exercises to simulate a blockade of the island. became. China has refused to accept calls from US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the incident, amid tensions mounting after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February.
In recent days, President Xi Jinping has made solemn remarks on US-China relations and China’s security in general.
Foreign Minister Qin Gang told Washington last week that there could be “conflict and confrontation” if the United States does not change course to improve tense relations over Taiwan, human rights, Hong Kong, security, technology and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
The day before, President Xi told a delegation of the Chinese parliament, “Western countries, led by the United States, are carrying out a comprehensive containment, encirclement and suppression of China, which is of unprecedented importance to China’s development.” It poses challenges,” he said.
China must “resolutely resist external interference in Taiwan’s independence and separatist activities, and unwaveringly pursue the process of national reunification,” he said.
