Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating has lashed out at the new AUKUS alliance between Washington, London, and Canberra, warning that Australia should avoid being drawn into a war with China.
Referring to Australia’s plan to cooperate with the US and the UK to buy nuclear-powered submarines in line with the AUKUS pact, Keating argued that Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government was wrongly “trying to find our security from Asia rather than in Asia”.
The ex-prime minister bashed hardline national security advisers who “can’t wait to get the staplers back on to the Americans”, insisting that purchasing nuclear powered submarines would hardly damage China’s combat capability.
“Eight submarines against China when we get the submarines in 20 years’ time – it’ll be like throwing a handful of toothpicks at the mountain”, Keating said.
He apparently referred to an AUKUS clause that stipulates Australia acquiring eight nuclear-powered submarines either of the US Virginia class or the UK Astute class. The vessels are slated to enter service before the end of next decade.
The former Labor leader on Wednesday accused the major Australian political parties of losing their way on foreign policy, while dismissing the credibility of the UK’s “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific region.
Keating also argued that Beijing was “in the adolescent phase of their diplomacy” and had “testosterone running everywhere”, claiming that Australia had no alternative but to engage with China. He suggested that Canberra could have a “civil relationship” with Beijing, although they may disagree on a spate of issues.
China Concerned Over Australia Joining AUKUS
The remarks came a week after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin bashed Canberra's move to become part of the AUKUS alliance as "extremely irresponsible" from the point of view of nuclear non-proliferation.
Wenbin asserted that driven by the "pursuit of its own interests", Australia has not only undermined regional peace and stability, but has also violated its international obligations in the non-proliferation sphere by joining AUKUS. The spokesman urged Canberra to change its course and amend its "mistakes".
"The Australian government should […] abandon the Cold War mentality, conscientiously fulfil its international nuclear non-proliferation obligations, earnestly safeguard regional peace and stability and give a responsible answer to the international community”, Wang pointed out.
He was echoed by another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, who previously said that the AUKUS pact “seriously damages regional peace and stability, intensifies the arms race, and undermines the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons”.
In mid-September, Australia abandoned a $66 billion contract to buy 12 diesel-powered submarines from France's Naval Group company in favour of a defence pact, AUKUS, with the US and the UK, under which the partners promised to enhance Australia's fleet with nuclear-powered submarines.
This prompted an angry reaction from France, with Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accusing Australia of betraying the mutual trust between the countries and dubbing Canberra’s move “a stab in the back”.