China has denounced a historic security pact between the US, UK and Australia, describing the alliance as “extremely irresponsible” and “narrow minded”.
The pact, announced on Wednesday, will see the US and UK provide Australia with the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.
It is being widely viewed as an effort to counter China’s influence in the contested South China Sea.
The region has been a flashpoint for years and tensions there remain high.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the newly announced alliance risked “severely damaging regional peace… and intensifying the arms race”.
He criticised what he called “the obsolete cold war… mentality” and warned the three countries were “hurting their own interests”.
Chinese state media carried editorials denouncing the pact, and one in the Global Times newspaper said Australia had now “turned itself into an adversary of China”.
The new partnership, under the name Aukus, was announced in a joint virtual press conference between US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Wednesday.
And while China was not mentioned directly, the three leaders referred repeatedly to regional security concerns which they said had “grown significantly”.
“This is an historic opportunity for the three nations, with like-minded allies and partners, to protect shared values and promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” a joint statement read.
