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Indonesia, Malaysia concerned over AUKUS nuclear submarines plan
Referring to AUKUS, a trilateral security pact agreed last month between Australia, the United States and Britain, Saifuddin Abdullah said the two Southeast Asian nations were similarly concerned about its ramifications.
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In this photo taken on October 12, 2016, a Royal Australian Navy diesel and electric-powered Collins Class submarine sits in Sydney Harbour. Australia awarded French contractor DCNS the main contract in April 2016 to design and build its next generation of submarines to replace the aging Collins Class. The vessels will be a scaled-down, conventionally powered version of France's 4,700-tonne nuclear-fuelled Barracuda. (AFP/Peter Parks)
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alaysia and Indonesia share strong reservations over Australia's decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, even though nuclear weapons were not part of the plan, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Monday.
Referring to AUKUS, a trilateral security pact agreed last month between Australia, the United States and Britain, Saifuddin Abdullah said the two Southeast Asian nations were similarly concerned about its ramifications.
"We agree on the latest issue in the region regarding a country near our territory that is purchasing new nuclear-powered submarines," Saifuddin told a joint news conference after a meeting counterpart Retno LP Marsudi.
"Even though that country doesn't have the capacity for nuclear weapons, we are worried and concerned."
Indonesia last month said it was concerned AUKUS could lead to a regional arms race.
The deal comes amid increasing tensions in the East and South China Seas, conduits for trillions of dollars of shipments amounting to about a third of global trade.
The Philippines, a US defence treaty ally, has backed AUKUS it, saying it offers a necessary counterbalance to an increasingly assertive China.
