China Requests US, UK, and Australia to Stop Working with China on Nuclear Submarines Due to International Concerns

China’s foreign ministry requested on Wednesday that the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia postpone their intended collaboration on nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS accord. The ministry stressed that unless the international community has come to an agreement on crucial security issues and safeguards, this collaboration should not proceed.

The AUKUS program, which intends to provide Australia a fleet of eight nuclear-powered and conventionally armed submarines by 2050, is seen as a threat to regional peace and security, according to Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry. A number of nations have criticized the AUKUS deal since its announcement in 2021, chief among them China, which sees it as a possible destabilizing influence in the Indo-Pacific area.

Reiterating China’s position, Lin Jian urged the three countries to reevaluate their intentions until appropriate agreements on nuclear non-proliferation and stability in the area are in place. The spokesman said that pushing this partnership further in the absence of international agreement might exacerbate tensions and undermine international security arrangements.

This move underscores escalating geopolitical tensions as the US and its allies view the AUKUS relationship as a means of balancing China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific. China counters that such measures will simply exacerbate tensions in an area that is already unstable.