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Malaysia to seek China's view on Australia's nuclear sub pact
The alliance, known as AUKUS, will see Australia get technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of the agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power, especially in the strategically important South China Sea.
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Security diplomacy: Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (left), John Chipman (second left), director-general and chief executive of IISS, Pakistan Armed Forces Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat (second right) and Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan (right) attend the third plenary session at the 16th Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), ShangriLa Dialogue Summit in Singapore on June 3. The annual Shangri-La Dialogue is attended by defence ministers from around the region and runs from June 2 to 4.
(AFP/Roslan Rahman)
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alaysia on Wednesday said it plans to seek China's position on the new defence partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia, days after sounding the alarm that the pact could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region.
The alliance, known as AUKUS, will see Australia get technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of the agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power, especially in the strategically important South China Sea.
Indonesia and Malaysia warned that it would lead to an arms race in the region amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia, while the Philippines has backed the pact as a means of maintaining the region's balance of power.
Malaysia's defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Wednesday proposed an immediate working trip to China to discuss AUKUS.
"We need to get the views from the leadership of China, especially China's defense, on AUKUS that was announced by the three countries and what are their actions following the announcement," Hishammuddin said in parliament.
China has said the plan risks severely damaging regional peace and stability.
Hishammuddin said he had urged his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton to approach Brunei, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam - China's neighours - to address concerns about the region's security.
