AUKUS unveil nuclear submarine plan, violates NPT, says China

United States, Australia and Britain on Monday unveiled details of a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines, a major step involving investment of hundreds of billions of dollars aimed at countering China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.Addressing a ceremony at the U.S. naval base in San Diego, accompanied by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, U.S. President Joe Biden called the agreement under the 2021 AUKUS partnership part of a shared commitment to a free-and-open Indo-Pacific region with two of America's "most stalwart and capable allies."

Under the deal, the United States intends to sell Australia three U.S. Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines, which are built by General Dynamics, in the early 2030s, with an option to buy two more if needed, the joint statement said.Sunak called it "a powerful partnership," adding: "For the first time ever it will mean three fleets of submarines working together across the Atlantic and Pacific keeping our oceans free ... for decades to come."

These submarines will be the most complex machines that have ever been built in human history.

And they’ll be built here in South Australia.

This will means more highly skilled, highly paid jobs across our economy. pic.twitter.com/Mt0x3pbnVn

— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) March 13, 2023

Sunak called it "a powerful partnership," adding: "For the first time ever it will mean three fleets of submarines working together across the Atlantic and Pacific keeping our oceans free ... for decades to come."

China has criticised the announcement. According to China, AUKUS violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).Beijing has argued the transfer of nuclear weapons materials from a nuclear-weapon state to a non-nuclear-weapon state was a "blatant" violation of the spirit of the pact.Currently, no party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty other than the five countries the NPT recognizes as weapons states — the US, Russia, China, Britain and France — has nuclear submarines.Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing: "We urge the US, the UK and Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, honor international obligations in good faith and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability."