Australia is allowed to buy nuclear-powered submarines from the US, allowing its fleet to reach further and have greater strike power. This worries the regional superpower China, which is currently intensively equipping itself to expand its military influence in the region. – The US, Great Britain and Australia are moving further and further down the path of error and danger, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin today. On Monday, the leaders from the US, UK and Australia met in San Diego, USA. Then it was announced that the Australian military will be allowed to buy first three, then two more, nuclear-powered American submarines. Australian military will also start training together with American and British. The three leaders make no secret of the fact that it is China’s rearmament, and increased presence in the Pacific, that has driven the partnership forward. The Australian submarines will not be nuclear-armed, President Joe Biden emphasized yesterday, but the mere fact that they are nuclear-powered worries the Chinese regime. And the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA stated today that it will closely monitor all handling of nuclear material. Historic investment Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, stated that the agreement on nuclear submarines is “the biggest investment ever in our defence”. The three countries launched their strategic military cooperation a year and a half ago. Even then, both China and Russia protested loudly. But France also expressed dismay, as the country missed out on a planned submarine deal with Australia. But the government in Canberra declared that the military pact was a must, to face the large and rapid Chinese military rearmament. China is building a “wall of steel” In the last eight years, China has invested huge sums in defence, and is believed to have, among other things, built a larger fleet than the American one. In a speech yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country will build the People’s Army into a “wall of steel” and that military armor is a priority in the upcoming five-year plan. At the same time, the Biden government has asked the US Congress to increase the defense budget to 842 billion dollars for the year 2024, and large investments are planned in the Pacific area. For example, the US has concluded new agreements with the Philippines regarding access to bases there and a new high-tech base is being built on the island of Guam. In the player: Hear how Australia and China explain their position.
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US nuclear submarines in Australia threaten China
