https://sputnikglobe.com/20210916/uk-defence-sec-fires-back-at-chinas-aukus-accusations-of-cold-war-mentality-1089122182.html
UK Defence Sec. Fires Back at China's AUKUS Accusations of 'Cold War Mentality'
UK Defence Sec. Fires Back at China's AUKUS Accusations of 'Cold War Mentality'
Sputnik International
Shortly after the announcement of AUKUS - a defence alliance between the US, UK, and Australia apparently formed in order to counter China - the Chinese... 16.09.2021, Sputnik International
2021-09-16T10:30+0000
2021-09-16T10:30+0000
2023-05-28T15:15+0000
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UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, when speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, fired back at Beijing's assertions that the new AUKUS partnership between Washington, London, and Canberra is a display of a "Cold War mentality".Wallace went on to assure that the alliance is "not about antagonising anyone", and asserted that the new defence pact is "not only about China".AUKUS was announced on Wednesday as something that would "preserve security and stability around the world" and generate "hundreds of high-skilled jobs", as UK PM Boris Johnson put it. Under the pact, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines - something that prompted concerns from New Zealand, with Wellington immediately stating that it will bar them from its territorial waters.While China was not directly mentioned in the AUKUS announcement, Beijing swiftly voiced concerns concerning the new pact, saying that it "seriously undermines regional peace and stability, intensifies the arms race, and harms international non-proliferation efforts". Besides this, China accused the three countries participating in the alliance of having a "Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice".Beijing is not the only one triggered by the new defence group, as it rose some eyebrows in France. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly issued a joint statement, describing the trilateral deal between Washington, London, and Canberra as "regrettable".Despite the division of the global community on the new defence pact, Australia's foreign minister touted the agreement as a "real reorientation" of the UK's foreign and security policy following Brexit, welcoming the new partnership with Australia. Biden, for his part, said that the goal of AUKUS is to ensure allies in the region have capabilities to counter "rapidly evolving threats", and addressed concerns about Austrialia's nuclear-powered submarines. According to the US president, "these are conventionally-armed submarines that are powered by nuclear reactors", meaning that the submarines will not be equipped with nuclear weapons. With regard to France, Biden argued that Paris already enjoys a "substantial" presence in the Indo-Pacific and plays a key role in strengthening regional security.
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UK Defence Sec. Fires Back at China's AUKUS Accusations of 'Cold War Mentality'
10:30 GMT 16.09.2021 (Updated: 15:15 GMT 28.05.2023) Shortly after the announcement of AUKUS - a defence alliance between the US, UK, and Australia apparently formed in order to counter China - the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, slammed the formation as "irresponsible", recommending that the West drop its "Cold War mentality".
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, when speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, fired back at Beijing's assertions that the new AUKUS partnership between Washington, London, and Canberra is a display of a "Cold War mentality".
"It's probably a Cold War view to describe it as a Cold War", Wallace retorted, arguing that Beijing was "embarking on one of the biggest military spends in history". He continued: "Obviously it is engaged in some disputed areas. Our partners in those regions want to be able to stand their own ground".
Wallace went on to assure that the alliance is "not about antagonising anyone", and asserted that the new defence pact is "not only about China".
AUKUS was announced on Wednesday as something that would "preserve security and stability around the world" and generate "hundreds of high-skilled jobs", as UK PM Boris Johnson put it. Under the pact,
Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines - something that prompted concerns from New Zealand, with Wellington immediately stating that it will bar them from its territorial waters.
While China was not directly mentioned in the AUKUS announcement, Beijing
swiftly voiced concerns concerning the new pact, saying that it "seriously undermines regional peace and stability, intensifies the arms race, and harms international non-proliferation efforts". Besides this, China accused the three countries participating in the alliance of having a "Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice".
16 September 2021, 01:11 GMT
Beijing is not the only one triggered by the new defence group, as it rose some eyebrows in France. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly issued a joint statement, describing the trilateral deal between Washington, London, and Canberra as "regrettable".
"The American choice to push aside a European ally and partner like France from a structural partnership with Australia at a time we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region [...] shows a lack of coherence that France can only acknowledge and regret", the statement said.
Despite the division of the global community on the new defence pact, Australia's foreign minister touted the agreement as a "real reorientation" of the UK's foreign and security policy following Brexit, welcoming the new partnership with Australia.
Biden, for his part, said that the goal of AUKUS is to ensure allies in the region have capabilities to counter "rapidly evolving threats", and addressed concerns about Austrialia's nuclear-powered submarines. According to the US president, "these are conventionally-armed submarines that are powered by nuclear reactors", meaning that the submarines will not be equipped with nuclear weapons. With regard to France, Biden argued that Paris already enjoys a "substantial" presence in the Indo-Pacific and plays a key role in strengthening regional security.
