AUKUS Not Intended to Be Adversarial to Other Countries, UK PM Johnson Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The new alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) is not directed against other countries, it just reflects a high level of trust and cooperation, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured on Thursday.

"It is not actually revolutionary. We have already been cooperating ... AUKUS is not intended to be adversarial towards any other power, it reflects the close relationship that we have with the United States and Australia, the shared values that we have, the level of trust between us", Johnson told the parliament, commenting on Beijing's concerns.

He also stressed that the alliance won't violate the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and won't affect the cooperation of the three countries with NATO.

Earlier in the day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed the belief that AUKUS undermines regional peace, intensifies the arms race and harms the global non-proliferation effort.

President Biden delivers remark on National Security at the White House

© REUTERS / Tom Brenner

The pact between the three nations was announced on Wednesday. AUKUS is aimed at sharing cutting-edge defence technologies, including AI projects, cyber security, and quantum technologies. Additionally, the alliance suggests cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines.