“We seek to acquire this capability in order to help keep the peace,” said Ms Wong in the broadcast exclusive with CNA.
The leaders of the United States, Australia and Britain on Monday unveiled details of the agreement to provide Australia with the attack submarines, a major step under the 2021 AUKUS partnership aimed at countering China's naval dominance in the Indo-Pacific.“We don't seek to acquire this capability to do anything other than to seek to better ensure a strategic equilibrium,” Ms Wong told CNA in a wide-ranging exclusive broadcast interview.
She added that Australia is acquiring this capability “transparently”, pointing to briefings that the country has provided to regional leaders. Addressing a question on China’s views and the risk of greater Australian defence capability proving destabilising instead of stabilising in the region, Ms Wong reiterated the reason for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.“I think people will see we are not a country that is seeking to escalate,” she added.Australia has also offered to brief Beijing, she added.
Ms Wong also said that continuing to ensure alliances among nations to reinforce stability is important in the face of the sort of behaviour from the North Korean regime. She was addressing South Korea's plan to step up engagement with the Quad – a partnership among Australia, India, Japan and the US – on the back of Pyongyang firing two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday.
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