{"id":4788,"date":"2023-03-15T12:57:57","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T12:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=4788"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:53:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:53:26","slug":"australian-prime-minister-visits-fiji-to-discuss-nuclear-submarines-and-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/analysis\/defense\/australian-prime-minister-visits-fiji-to-discuss-nuclear-submarines-and-security\/2023\/03\/15\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Prime Minister visits Fiji to discuss nuclear submarines and security"},"content":{"rendered":"

SYDNEY<\/span> (Brussels Independent with Reuters)<\/span> By Dr. Majid Khan –<\/span> Australian<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Anthony<\/span> Albanese<\/span> told<\/span> the<\/span> Canberra<\/span> embassy<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> meeting<\/span> in<\/span> Suva<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> country’s<\/span> $245<\/span> billion<\/span> nuclear<\/span> submarine<\/span> program<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> non-proliferation<\/span> commitment<\/span> to<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Australia<\/span> has<\/span> nuclear-free<\/span> zone<\/span> agreements<\/span> with<\/span> her<\/span> 12<\/span> countries<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> South<\/span> Pacific,<\/span> including<\/span> Fiji,<\/span> making<\/span> the<\/span> region<\/span> highly<\/span> sensitive<\/span> to<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons<\/span> following<\/span> nuclear<\/span> tests<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> France.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> strategically<\/span> located<\/span> region<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> the<\/span> focus<\/span> of<\/span> growing<\/span> tensions<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> China<\/span> over<\/span> Beijing’s<\/span> ambitions<\/span> to<\/span> strengthen<\/span> its<\/span> security<\/span> presence.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China<\/span> this<\/span> month<\/span> renewed<\/span> diplomatic<\/span> pressure<\/span> on<\/span> Pacific<\/span> island<\/span> nations<\/span> to<\/span> cooperate<\/span> with<\/span> China<\/span> on<\/span> security<\/span> issues.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> day<\/span> after<\/span> details<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> AUKUS<\/span> submarine<\/span> program<\/span> were<\/span> announced<\/span> with<\/span> US<\/span> and<\/span> British<\/span> leaders<\/span> in<\/span> San<\/span> Diego,<\/span> Albanese<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> Fiji’s<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Sitibuni<\/span> Labuka<\/span> to<\/span> discuss<\/span> security<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> region.<\/span> In<\/span> a<\/span> statement,<\/span> the<\/span> Fiji<\/span> government<\/span> said:<\/span> “Albanians<\/span> are<\/span> steadfast<\/span> in<\/span> their<\/span> support<\/span> as<\/span> our<\/span> two<\/span> countries<\/span> work<\/span> together<\/span> to<\/span> recover<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> pandemic,<\/span> build<\/span> defense<\/span> and<\/span> security,<\/span> build<\/span> economic<\/span> cooperation,<\/span> tackle<\/span> climate<\/span> change,<\/span> and<\/span> protect<\/span> our<\/span> oceans<\/span> and<\/span> environment.<\/span> I<\/span> gave<\/span> it<\/span> to<\/span> you,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> praised.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Australian<\/span> defense<\/span> officials<\/span> say<\/span> a<\/span> fleet<\/span> of<\/span> nuclear<\/span> submarines<\/span> is<\/span> needed<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> deterrent<\/span> to<\/span> China’s<\/span> naval<\/span> build-up.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China<\/span> says<\/span> AUKUS<\/span> violates<\/span> the<\/span> Nuclear<\/span> Non-Proliferation<\/span> Treaty,<\/span> which<\/span> Australia<\/span> opposes.<\/span> Australia<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday<\/span> that<\/span> its<\/span> submarines<\/span> would<\/span> not<\/span> carry<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China’s<\/span> special<\/span> envoy<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Pacific<\/span> Islands,<\/span> Qianbo,<\/span> called<\/span> on<\/span> subregional<\/span> groups<\/span> in<\/span> Fiji,<\/span> Vanuatu,<\/span> Papua<\/span> New<\/span> Guinea<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> Solomon<\/span> Islands<\/span> this<\/span> month<\/span> to<\/span> help<\/span> with<\/span> China’s<\/span> security<\/span> training<\/span> and<\/span> assistance<\/span> role,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> statement<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Melanesian<\/span> Spearhead<\/span> Group.<\/span> rice<\/span> field.<\/span> Over<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> two<\/span> weeks,<\/span> Qian<\/span> has<\/span> visited<\/span> Papua<\/span> New<\/span> Guinea,<\/span> Vanuatu<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> Federated<\/span> States<\/span> of<\/span> Micronesia.<\/span> In<\/span> a<\/span> March<\/span> 10<\/span> statement,<\/span> senior<\/span> officials<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> Melanesia<\/span> Spearhead<\/span> Group<\/span> (MSG),<\/span> an<\/span> intergovernmental<\/span> organization<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Independence<\/span> Party<\/span> of<\/span> Fiji,<\/span> Papua<\/span> New<\/span> Guinea,<\/span> Solomon<\/span> Islands,<\/span> Vanuatu<\/span> and<\/span> New<\/span> Caledonia,<\/span> pledged<\/span> security<\/span> assistance,<\/span> including<\/span> training<\/span> and<\/span> assistance.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cMy<\/span> members<\/span> are<\/span> adamant<\/span> that<\/span> no<\/span> one<\/span> chooses<\/span> friends<\/span> or<\/span> foes<\/span> for<\/span> them,\u201d<\/span> said<\/span> MSG<\/span> Executive<\/span> Director<\/span> Leonard<\/span> Louma.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Graeme<\/span> Smith,<\/span> a<\/span> Pacific<\/span> expert<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Australian<\/span> National<\/span> University,<\/span> said<\/span> Australia<\/span> was<\/span> concerned<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> group’s<\/span> statements.The<\/span> group,<\/span> while<\/span> less<\/span> powerful<\/span> than<\/span> the<\/span> 18-member<\/span> Pacific<\/span> Islands<\/span> Forum,<\/span> It<\/span> is<\/span> important<\/span> for<\/span> Melanesian<\/span> countries.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>It<\/span> is<\/span> also<\/span> likely<\/span> that<\/span> China<\/span> will<\/span> step<\/span> up<\/span> criticism<\/span> of<\/span> AUKUS<\/span> for<\/span> violating<\/span> the<\/span> Pacific<\/span> Nuclear<\/span> Free<\/span> Treaty<\/span> in<\/span> its<\/span> diplomacy<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> Pacific<\/span> islands,<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> New<\/span> Zealand<\/span> Foreign<\/span> Minister<\/span> Nanaia<\/span> Mahuta<\/span> will<\/span> visit<\/span> Fiji<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> embassy<\/span> in<\/span> Auckland,<\/span> while<\/span> a<\/span> US<\/span> delegation<\/span> led<\/span> by<\/span> White<\/span> House<\/span> Indo-Pacific<\/span> coordinator<\/span> Kurt<\/span> Campbell<\/span> will<\/span> visit<\/span> the<\/span> Pacific<\/span> island<\/span> nations<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> coming<\/span> days.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SYDNEY (Brussels Independent with Reuters) By Dr. Majid Khan – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Canberra embassy at a meeting in Suva on Thursday that the country’s $245 billion nuclear submarine program was a non-proliferation commitment to nuclear weapons.\u00a0 Australia has nuclear-free zone agreements with her 12 countries in the South Pacific, including […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,280,1566,2425,24,276],"tags":[1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1574,1905,1605,1906,1606,1907,1625,1630,1748,1895],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/aus-om.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4788"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4788"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4791,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4788\/revisions\/4791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}