British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended an event at the Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego, California, where US President Joe Biden delivered a speech on the Australia, UK, United States (AUKUS) partnership.
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The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security said the trilateral defense and security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, commonly known as AUKUS, will not trigger a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.
Ambassador Bonnie Dennis Jenkins told a media briefing on Tuesday that the security framework was designed to enhance stability, not “create problems.” “There was some incorrect information about the purpose of AUKUS and what we were trying to do.”
The AUKUS alliance was established in 2021 to address the region’s shared concerns about China’s rising military power and influence.it involves australian acquisitions Nuclear attack submarineand other defense cooperation projects.
China responded at that timewarning of the dangers of an arms race and nuclear weapons proliferation.
“It’s very important that countries understand that this is not about creating a race, it’s about creating any kind of arms race. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allows for nuclear-powered submarines and Australia will not become a nuclear-armed state,” she added.
Jenkins said coalition partners will continue to work with the IAEA to ensure “we are doing everything we can to achieve the highest operational standards in what we are trying to do.”
China’s response
In its latest remarks, China once again warned that Western powers in the “AUKUS Security Agreement” are provoking secession and nuclear proliferation risks in the South Pacific.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the United States insists on bringing nuclear submarine development into the region through AUKUS, which violates the purpose of the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty and poses serious nuclear proliferation risks. Speaking at the minister’s press conference.
He accused the United States of “using false pretexts to bring more countries into the organization,” adding that “China has always opposed bloc confrontation in the region.”
Earlier this month, the AUKUS Defense Minister stated that they were considering cooperation with Japan under the second pillar of the AUKUS framework. Pillar 2 Including areas such as networking, artificial intelligence, quantum technology and undersea capabilities.
“Recognizing Japan’s strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with these three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on the AUKUS Pillar 2 Advanced Capabilities Project,” the statement said.
“We are in discussions with Japan or any other country about additional partnerships, and there is no timetable at this time,” Jenkins said.
“It is vital that we engage in a very thoughtful process. We will have these discussions with countries based on what we think is important for what more partners can bring to the table.”
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