China Should Feel Threatened by AUKUS, Morrison Says

Sept. 26, 2021 (EIRNS)—Speaking to Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” on Sept. 26, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison answered her question, “You’re buying these nuclear submarines. Are you looking an arms race with China because that is what the Chinese have warned that that is what this is a signal of?” to which he delivered a speech “No. What we’re doing is we’ll be moving from our existing conventional fleet of submarines ...over time to be able to replace that with ... a fleet of nuclear submarines”—with Brennan interrupting, “Because China has built up its military”—he completed his initial response, “with higher capability.” And continued, “There’s been an increased militarization of the Indo-Pacific for many, many years and we’ve seen that escalating for some time. And so the escalation predates our decision.”

Brennan: But are you concerned that this could be read by China as a reason to feel more threatened? Do you think this puts a target on your back?

Morrison: Well, I believe it should be. And that’s really our point. Australia has every right to take decisions in our sovereign interests to provide for our defenses, to work with our partners, to create a more stable region....”

And later when she asked, “How real is the threat of a hot war? Of military conflict in your region of the world?” Morrison replied, “I don’t think it is inevitable,” but that “those issues are going to be resolved principally between the United States and China.”