(PresidentialDaily.org)- On Tuesday, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry warned that the US, Great Britain, and Australia were on a “path of error and danger” after they announced a deal that will allow Australia to purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines, CBS News reported.
On Monday, President Biden traveled to San Diego for trilateral talks with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the AUKUS nuclear partnership.
In a formal announcement at Naval Base Point Loma along the San Diego Bay, the three leaders formally announced the plan, which President Biden described as “an inflection point in history.”
The AUKUS partnership, which was announced in 2021, gave Australia access to nuclear-powered submarines to counter China’s military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Monday’s joint statement demonstrated that the US, Great Britain, and Australia are disregarding concerns from the international community “for the sake of their own geopolitical interests.” Wang warned that the three countries are continuing to walk “further down the path of error and danger.”
Since AUKUS was established, China has maintained that transferring nuclear weapons from a nuclear-capable country to a non-nuclear-capable country violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Australian officials, however, argue that the deal is for nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed, submarines.
In his remarks, President Biden emphasized that the submarines purchased by Australia will not be equipped with nuclear weapons, and added that the three leaders remain committed to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation pact.
As part of AUKUS, Australia will be purchasing as many as five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines. Additionally, a new generation of subs will be built in both Great Britain and Australia using US technology and support.
The United States will also increase its Australian port visits to help its navy become more familiar with nuclear-powered technology before it acquires the submarines.
