Beijing Says AUKUS Fuels Arms Race in Asia-Pacific, Undermines Nuclear Non-Proliferation

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The AUKUS trilateral security alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States fuels the arms race in the Asia-Pacific, undermines the nuclear non-proliferation regime and threatens regional stability, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

"Despite being called a 'trilateral security partnership,' AUKUS is essentially about fueling military confrontation through military collaboration. It is apparently driven by Cold War thinking. It creates additional nuclear proliferation risks, exacerbates arms race in the Asia-Pacific and hurts regional peace and stability. China is deeply concerned and firmly opposed to it," Mao told a regular press briefing.

China believe that any regional cooperation should only be based on aspirations to peace and development, and not be targeted at deterrence of third countries, the spokeswoman added.

"We urge the US, the UK and Australia to abandon their Cold-War and zero-sum mindset, honor their international obligations, and act in the interest of regional peace and stability," she said.

Australia, the US and the UK announced a new trilateral defense partnership called AUKUS in September 2021. The first initiative announced under the AUKUS defense pact was the development of nuclear-powered submarine technology for the Royal Australian Navy, so the Australian government decided to abandon its agreement, estimated at $66 billion at that time, with France's Naval Group company for the construction of diesel-electric submarines.