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These three countries have launched a new security partnership called AUKUS, which is clearly opposed to China.
Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a new trilateral security partnership, including joint efforts to help the Australian military obtain nuclear-powered submarines, apparently to counter China.
On Wednesday, the leaders of these three countries announced the alliance called AUKUS, emphasizing that submarines will be nuclear-powered, rather than carrying nuclear weapons.
Australia is a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his British Prime Minister Boris Johnson actually joined the United States President Joe Biden Said that the three countries are taking a “historic step” to deepen cooperation.
Biden said at the White House: “We all recognize the need to ensure long-term peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
“We need to be able to deal with the current strategic environment in the region and how it may evolve, because the future of each of our countries and the world depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific region that will last and prosper in the coming decades.”
The three leaders did not explicitly mention China in their speeches on Wednesday.
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, shortly after the announcement, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington stated that the three countries should “get rid of the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice”.
The spokesperson condemned what he called “exclusive groups” that target the interests of other countries.
‘Safe, safer’
Australian Prime Minister Morrison stated that the newly announced partnership will “provide a safer and more secure area” and ultimately benefit everyone.
“Let me be clear: Australia does not seek to acquire nuclear weapons or establish civilian nuclear capabilities,” he added. “And we will continue to fulfill all our nuclear non-proliferation obligations.”
Morrison also said that Australia intends to cooperate with the United Kingdom and the United States to build submarines in Adelaide on the country’s southern coast.
The announcement comes as competition between Beijing and Washington and their allies in the Indo-Pacific region has become increasingly fierce.
Johnson said that co-production of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia will be “one of the most complex and technically demanding projects in the world.”
Johnson said: “Australia is one of our oldest friends, a like-minded country and a democratic country, and a natural partner in this cause.”
An unidentified U.S. official told reporters on Wednesday that AUKUS “does not target any country.”
The official said: “This is to make greater efforts to maintain contact and deterrence structures in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The joint statement of the three countries stated that the United States and the United Kingdom will use their expertise to produce submarines for Australia as soon as possible.
“We will promote deeper information and technology sharing,” The statement says“We will promote the deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains. In particular, we will significantly deepen cooperation in a range of security and defense capabilities.”
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