Angry China warns Australia could be a ‘target of nuclear war’ in new Aukus defense pact

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Australia could become the target of a nuclear strike by China after the security agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom that would lead to it acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

According to the Global Times, a newspaper considered the mouthpiece of the Communist Party in Beijing, Chinese military experts fear the ships could be upgraded with a nuclear arsenal, despite assurances that they would only carry conventional weapons.

Presumably, Chinese military experts have warned of a possible strike on Australia, because, as the Global Times claims, it would be relatively easy for Washington and London to equip the ships with ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

In the report, an unnamed senior military expert said that only nuclear-armed countries have nuclear-powered submarines and their role is to launch nuclear missiles in case of war.

The sources said the assertions of Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison about nuclear weapons were “meaningless”.

“It would be easy for the US and UK to deploy nuclear weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missiles on Australian submarines,” says the unnamed military figure.

In another story, the state-backed publication, which often uses profanity and is used to rattle swords against perceived enemies, warned that Australia could be targeted as a warning to others if it acted “courageously” by loyalty to the United States, or by being “militarily resolute”.

“Consequently, Australian forces will likely also be the first batch of Western soldiers to waste their lives in the South China Sea,” she added.

In its official reaction, the Chinese government stated that the proposal to introduce nuclear-powered submarines was a dangerous development. It “seriously damages regional peace and stability, exacerbates the arms race and undermines the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

In fact, there is no possibility that the Chinese government would launch a preemptive nuclear strike against Australia because it has a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. India, a country that has recently entered into armed clashes with China, has long operated nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo-Pacific.

But the agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States drew criticism from allies as well as China. The deal, which was drawn up quickly and largely in secrecy, means France will lose a $90 billion (£65 billion) contract to build diesel-powered submarines for Australia.

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, denounced a “stab in the back” by Australia, saying “we have established a relationship of trust with Australia, and that trust has been betrayed”.

Mr. Le Drian said what happened showed Biden was not behaving better than Donald Trump: “The brutal, unilateral and unexpected decision reminds me a lot of what Mr. Trump was doing. I’m angry, angry and bitter. It doesn’t happen between allies.”

Gherald Araud, former French ambassador to Washington, tweeted: “France has just been reminded of this bitter truth with the way the US and UK stabbed it in the back in Australia.”

Other officials said relations with America were the worst since 2003, when the French were called “cheese eat surrendered monkeys” for their refusal to join the US and UK in the disastrous invasion of Iraq.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs and security policy official, who has just revealed his own strategy in the Indo-Pacific, concluded that “we must live alone as others do. I understand how disappointed the French government must be.”

Theresa May asked how the Aukus Agreement would lead to the UK’s response if China tried to invade Taiwan. “Can I ask him what are the implications of this agreement for the position the United Kingdom will take in its response if China attempts to invade Taiwan?”

Boris Johnson replied: “The UK remains determined to stand up for international law and this is the strong advice we will give our friends around the world, the strong advice we will give the government in Beijing.”

The reactions were partly out of shock. Just two weeks ago, the Australian defense and foreign ministers reaffirmed the French agreement. Emmanuel Macron was looking forward to future cooperation when hosting Mr Morrison in June.

However, we now know, first privately from British officials, and then publicly from Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove, that the Australians first came close to switching to the agreement with the UK and US in March.

“This has been a project in progress for several months – right during the withdrawal in Afghanistan – and is a powerful example of how to build new, long-term partnerships rooted in Britain’s values, its scientific and engineering excellence, and in our alliances.” Sir Stephen.

What happened in Afghanistan was already a sign for European countries that America’s position has not changed much since Trump’s departure. President Biden has continued his predecessor’s policy of hastily withdrawing troops, with all the ensuing consequences. There was little consultation with NATO partners, who also had no choice but to withdraw their forces.

The Biden administration has been shifting its focus to the Indo-Pacific. She is not the first to seek to do so. Barack Obama also tried to move east, but got stuck in the Middle East due to the rise of ISIS.

The Aukus Agreement formalizes the attempt to curb Chinese expansion.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: “China is embarking on one of the largest military spending and military investments in history. It is growing its navy and air force at a huge and very rapid rate. It is clearly involved in some controversial and contested areas.

“That’s what China is doing at the moment, and it is right that the UK, along with other allies like Australia, stand up for the rules-based order and international law.”

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