China slammed the sale of US nuclear submarines to Australia and its alliance with the UK

The AUKUS made Beijing explode in fury. The acronym, which joins the initials in English of the three countries that make up the alliance – Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States – activated the most aggressive diplomatic springs of the Xi Jinping government, which brandished its reviews on the sale of the United States. nuclear submarines to the government of Canberra.

“Cooperation between the United States, Great Britain and Australia on nuclear submarines seriously undermines regional peace and stability, intensifies the arms race and undermines international nuclear non-proliferation efforts ”, Chinese diplomacy spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.

The spokesman accused the three countries of displaying a “cold war mentality” and of using nuclear weapons for geopolitical purposes.

China and Australia have enjoyed strained relations for a year and a half.

Zhao said the acquisition of US submarines contradicts Australia’s nuclear non-proliferation commitments.

The United States, in the face of China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, on Wednesday announced a new alliance with Australia and the United Kingdom to strengthen naval capabilities in this area, with a new Australian fleet of nuclear submarines.

Criticism of France

Following the announcement of the deal, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed this Thursday the suspension of the construction program for the new fleet of conventional submarines with the French company Naval Group because these no longer correspond to the “operational needs for the coming decades” of your country.

Program suspension It caused unease to the French government, which indicated that it was going “against the spirit of cooperation” between the two countries, according to a press release from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean’Yves Le Drian, and that of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly.

Besides, Naval Group expressed in a statement its “disappointment” at the decision considering that it offered Australia “a conventional submarine superior to the regional level”, as well as a “sovereign submarine capability with unmatched commitments in terms of transfer of technology, jobs and local content”.

Surprise in the European Union

“The EU has not been informed of this initiative. We are in contact with our partners to get more information and we need to discuss with Member States the implications this has for the EU ”, said Community Executive Abroad spokesperson Peter Stano.

The main Commission deputy spokesperson, Dana Spinant, stressed that the EU is still analyzing how this alliance will be, but assured that Although the pact was not informed, this will not affect Brussels’ relations with these three countries.

“This will have no impact with our partners, neither in foreign policy nor in trade policy,” said Spinant, when asked if the free trade agreement that the EU and Australia are negotiating could be threatened.

With information from EFE, Reuters, AP and AFP

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