Australia, UK defends AUKUS at FPDA, alleges 'overhyping of trilateral pact'

Australia and Britain on Thursday, October 20, defended strategic AUKUS security alliance amid concerns that deal might start a nuclear arms race in Indo-Pacific region. Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey told an online news conference re has been an "overhyping" about AUKUS trilateral security pact between Australia, United States and Britain, as he ded that three nations, UK and US have been involved in sharing such techlogies for deces. He also clarified that subs that Australia purchases from Washington will t be nuclear-armed but will be nuclear reactor powered. 

"re has been a lot of, sort of overhyping of AUKUS," Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey told reporters at a Kuala Lumpur event celebrating 50th anniversary of a five-way defence pact between Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. 

“It doesn't in any way reflect a reduction in our friendships with colleagues and allies. It doesn't in any way represent a challenge in your part of world,” Heappey reportedly ded during his dress at Five Powers Defence Arrangements conference. 

Deal 'essential' to counter Chinese militarization

UK’s Armed Forces minister also clarified that deal was essential to counter Chinese militarization in Indo pacific region, particularly in strategically important South China Sea. pact, however, has left Souast Asian countries divided with Indonesia and Malaysia warning that it will trigger an arms race among rival superpowers. Philippines, a US ally, came out in support of deal. Australian defence minister, Peter Dutton, said AUKUS would t change Canberra security strategy, and that country still will be a reliable partner for its allies. 

"We're t somebody who interferes with operations of or nations, we are a country which is forthright, and we love providing peace in our region, and that's at centre of our friends here,” Peter Dutton said at conference. 

Earlier last month, UK’s main opposition Labour party's delegates passed emergency motion against AUKUS by 70.35% to 29.65%. "AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and cold war. We must keep speaking out against it," former Labour leer Jeremy Corbyn said on Twitter. Labour echoed concerns me vocal by International Atomic Energy ncy (IAEA), a global nuclear watchdog that issued a statement, saying it was worried over proliferation of nuclear materials and techlogies due to trilateral pact AUKUS. Meanwhile,  trilateral AUKUS deal also faced considerable backlash from China. A Chinese state-run newspaper quoted PLA military officials as saying that  AUKUS will "potentially make Australia a target of a nuclear strike if a war breaks out" since US is refraining island continent from owning ballistic missiles.