{"id":4768,"date":"2023-03-14T14:49:12","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T14:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=4768"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:53:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:53:26","slug":"china-says-aukus-is-on-dangerous-path-with-nuclear-submarine-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/china-says-aukus-is-on-dangerous-path-with-nuclear-submarine-contract\/2023\/03\/14\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"China says AUKUS is on ‘dangerous path’ with nuclear submarine contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

BEIJING<\/span> (AP)<\/span> \u2014Dr.Majid Khan<\/span>\u00a0The<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> Australia<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Kingdom<\/span> are<\/span> traveling<\/span> \u201cfurther<\/span> down<\/span> the<\/span> wrong<\/span> and<\/span> dangerous<\/span> path<\/span> for<\/span> their<\/span> own<\/span> geopolitical<\/span> self-interest,\u201d<\/span> China’s<\/span> Foreign<\/span> Ministry<\/span> said<\/span> Tuesday,<\/span> responding<\/span> to<\/span> an<\/span> agreement<\/span> under<\/span> which<\/span> Australia<\/span> will<\/span> purchase<\/span> nuclear-powered<\/span> attack<\/span> submarines<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> U.S.<\/span> to<\/span> modernize<\/span> its<\/span> fleet.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>U.S.<\/span> President<\/span> Joe<\/span> Biden<\/span> flew<\/span> to<\/span> San<\/span> Diego<\/span> to<\/span> appear<\/span> with<\/span> Australian<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Anthony<\/span> Albanese<\/span> and<\/span> British<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Rishi<\/span> Sunak<\/span> as<\/span> they<\/span> hailed<\/span> an<\/span> 18-month-old<\/span> nuclear<\/span> partnership<\/span> that<\/span> enables<\/span> Australia<\/span> to<\/span> access<\/span> nuclear-powered<\/span> submarines,<\/span> which<\/span> are<\/span> stealthier<\/span> and<\/span> more<\/span> capable<\/span> than<\/span> conventionally<\/span> powered<\/span> vessels,<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> counterweight<\/span> to<\/span> China’s<\/span> military<\/span> buildup.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Wang<\/span> repeated<\/span> China’s<\/span> claims<\/span> that<\/span> AUKUS<\/span> poses<\/span> a<\/span> \u201cserious<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> nuclear<\/span> proliferation<\/span> and<\/span> violating<\/span> the<\/span> object<\/span> and<\/span> purpose<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Treaty<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> Non-Proliferation<\/span> of<\/span> Nuclear<\/span> Weapons.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Australian<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> Richard<\/span> Marles<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> had<\/span> made<\/span> a<\/span> huge<\/span> diplomatic<\/span> effort<\/span> for<\/span> months<\/span> ahead<\/span> of<\/span> Monday’s<\/span> announcement<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> deal,<\/span> including<\/span> making<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 60<\/span> calls<\/span> to<\/span> regional<\/span> and<\/span> world<\/span> leaders.<\/span> Australia<\/span> had<\/span> even<\/span> offered<\/span> to<\/span> keep<\/span> China<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> loop,<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cWe<\/span> offered<\/span> a<\/span> briefing.<\/span> I<\/span> didn’t<\/span> attend<\/span> the<\/span> briefing<\/span> with<\/span> China,”<\/span> Marles<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> a<\/span> video<\/span> call<\/span> with<\/span> reporters<\/span> late<\/span> Monday,<\/span> US<\/span> Assistant<\/span> Secretary<\/span> of<\/span> State<\/span> for<\/span> East<\/span> Asia<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> Pacific<\/span> Daniel<\/span> J.<\/span> Krittenbrink<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> degree<\/span> of<\/span> transparency<\/span> he<\/span> said<\/span> was<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> key<\/span> features<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> deal.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cAUKUS<\/span> partners<\/span> have<\/span> made<\/span> our<\/span> intentions<\/span> clear,<\/span> including<\/span> our<\/span> commitment<\/span> to<\/span> peace<\/span> and<\/span> stability<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> region,\u201d<\/span> said<\/span> Krittenbrink.<\/span> \u201cWe<\/span> are<\/span> committed<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> highest<\/span> security<\/span> and<\/span> non-proliferation<\/span> standards<\/span> and<\/span> look<\/span> forward<\/span> to<\/span> continuing<\/span> to<\/span> work<\/span> with<\/span> our<\/span> friends,<\/span> partners<\/span> and<\/span> allies<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> region,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> China,<\/span> along<\/span> with<\/span> Russia,<\/span> has<\/span> accused<\/span> Quad,<\/span> a<\/span> group<\/span> of<\/span> Australia,<\/span> India,<\/span> Japan<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> whose<\/span> foreign<\/span> minister<\/span> said<\/span> earlier<\/span> this<\/span> month<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> wants<\/span> to<\/span> replace<\/span> China.<\/span> Ministers<\/span> said<\/span> they<\/span> viewed<\/span> with<\/span> concern<\/span> “challenges<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> maritime<\/span> rules-based<\/span> order,<\/span> including<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> South<\/span> and<\/span> East<\/span> China<\/span> Seas,”<\/span> and<\/span> asserted<\/span> territorial<\/span> claims<\/span> by<\/span> China<\/span> to<\/span> replace<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> dominant<\/span> military<\/span> power<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> region.<\/span> hinted<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> active<\/span> efforts<\/span> of<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China<\/span> is<\/span> also<\/span> reeling<\/span> from<\/span> a<\/span> Washington-Philippines<\/span> agreement<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> US<\/span> military<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> Philippine<\/span> bases<\/span> along<\/span> the<\/span> so-called<\/span> “first<\/span> island<\/span> chain,”<\/span> key<\/span> to<\/span> China’s<\/span> control<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> region.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>US<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> political<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> Taiwan<\/span> has<\/span> sparked<\/span> a<\/span> more<\/span> ominous<\/span> reaction<\/span> from<\/span> Beijing<\/span> in<\/span> recent<\/span> years.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> island<\/span> by<\/span> then-House<\/span> Speaker<\/span> Nancy<\/span> Pelosi<\/span> in<\/span> 2022<\/span> prompted<\/span> Beijing<\/span> to<\/span> launch<\/span> missiles<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> island,<\/span> send<\/span> ships<\/span> and<\/span> fighter<\/span> jets<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> region,<\/span> and<\/span> conduct<\/span> military<\/span> exercises<\/span> to<\/span> simulate<\/span> a<\/span> blockade<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> island.<\/span> became.<\/span> China<\/span> has<\/span> refused<\/span> to<\/span> accept<\/span> calls<\/span> from<\/span> US<\/span> Secretary<\/span> of<\/span> Defense<\/span> Lloyd<\/span> Austin<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> incident,<\/span> amid<\/span> tensions<\/span> mounting<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> shot<\/span> down<\/span> an<\/span> alleged<\/span> Chinese<\/span> spy<\/span> balloon<\/span> in<\/span> February.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> recent<\/span> days,<\/span> President<\/span> Xi<\/span> Jinping<\/span> has<\/span> made<\/span> solemn<\/span> remarks<\/span> on<\/span> US-China<\/span> relations<\/span> and<\/span> China’s<\/span> security<\/span> in<\/span> general.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Foreign<\/span> Minister<\/span> Qin<\/span> Gang<\/span> told<\/span> Washington<\/span> last<\/span> week<\/span> that<\/span> there<\/span> could<\/span> be<\/span> “conflict<\/span> and<\/span> confrontation”<\/span> if<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> does<\/span> not<\/span> change<\/span> course<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> tense<\/span> relations<\/span> over<\/span> Taiwan,<\/span> human<\/span> rights,<\/span> Hong<\/span> Kong,<\/span> security,<\/span> technology<\/span> and<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> aggression<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> day<\/span> before,<\/span> President<\/span> Xi<\/span> told<\/span> a<\/span> delegation<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Chinese<\/span> parliament,<\/span> “Western<\/span> countries,<\/span> led<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> are<\/span> carrying<\/span> out<\/span> a<\/span> comprehensive<\/span> containment,<\/span> encirclement<\/span> and<\/span> suppression<\/span> of<\/span> China,<\/span> which<\/span> is<\/span> of<\/span> unprecedented<\/span> importance<\/span> to<\/span> China’s<\/span> development.”<\/span> It<\/span> poses<\/span> challenges,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China<\/span> must<\/span> “resolutely<\/span> resist<\/span> external<\/span> interference<\/span> in<\/span> Taiwan’s<\/span> independence<\/span> and<\/span> separatist<\/span> activities,<\/span> and<\/span> unwaveringly<\/span> pursue<\/span> the<\/span> process<\/span> of<\/span> national<\/span> reunification,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BEIJING (AP) \u2014Dr.Majid Khan\u00a0The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom are traveling \u201cfurther down the wrong and dangerous path for their own geopolitical self-interest,\u201d 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,2407,2425,2428,2480,2482,24,276],"tags":[1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,151,152,1625,1626,1628,1630,1836],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/jw.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4768"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4768"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4770,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4768\/revisions\/4770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}