Australia will decide on use of its Aukus submarines, US Pacific commander says
Canberra has said steadfastly that the submarines were acquired to strengthen Australia’s defence and maintained that the nation has sovereignty over the vessels.
Despite the US, UK and Australia’s long-held stance about Aukus’ purpose, Campbell drew links between the pact and a possible conflict in the Taiwan straits when he spoke at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington last week.
02:52
China warns Aukus against going down ‘dangerous road’ over nuclear-powered submarine pact
“Those practical circumstances in which Aukus has the potential to have submarines from a number of countries operating in close coordination could deliver conventional ordinance from long distances,” he said.
“Those have enormous implications in a variety of scenarios, including in cross-strait circumstances, and so working closely with other nations, not just diplomatically, but in defence avenues, has the consequence of strengthening peace and stability more generally.”
On Tuesday, Aquilino also said there had been no change in the US’ commitment to the pact following news that Washington had planned to slow its submarine production and was late in its submarine delivery to Australia.
Since the agreement was announced, Australian sailors have graduated from “nuke school” with skills to operate nuclear reactors, Australians have visited US shipyards to study nuclear maintenance, the US has deployed Virginia class submarines to Australia, and Australian service members have been training at the Guam naval base, he added.
“The US commitment is iron clad,” he said.
“We oppose relevant countries cobbling together exclusive groupings and stoking bloc confrontation. Japan needs to earnestly draw lessons from history and stay prudent on military and security issues,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday.