China warns Aukus against going down ‘dangerous road’ over nuclear-powered submarine pact

The leaders of the US, Britain and Australia announced on March 13, 2023, that Australia will buy up to five nuclear-powered US submarines starting in the early 2030s, followed by the production of a new class of “SSN Aukus” nuclear-powered submarines with the US and Britain a decade later. The deal, unveiled under the Aukus military alliance, is widely seen as a major step to counter China’s growing military footprint in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing has accused Aukus of weakening nuclear non-proliferation efforts and warned that it will trigger an arms race.