On a recent visit to Papua New Guinea on April 20, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the partners in the AUKUS security agreement of fomenting division and increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation in the South Pacific. Wang Yi warned that the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement between the US, UK, and Australia goes against the South Pacific treaty on banning nuclear weapons in the region. He emphasized that this agreement also increases the risk of nuclear proliferation in the region.
The AUKUS submarine deal marks a significant development for China’s efforts to decrease its influence in the South Pacific. Despite Australia being Papua New Guinea’s largest donor, Chinese companies have established a strong presence in this country’s market. This has raised concerns about China’s growing influence in this region, particularly as tensions continue to rise with neighboring countries like India.
In addition to criticizing recent efforts to attract more countries to participate in confrontational initiatives like AUKUS, Wang Yi also mentioned possible cooperation with Japan on military technology. The AUKUS partners plan to develop advanced combat capabilities, including artificial intelligence, unmanned undersea vehicles, and hypersonic missiles. This has prompted fears that these countries could engage in an arms race, which would only exacerbate tensions in the region.
Australia insists that AUKUS does not promote an arms race and maintains a balanced foreign policy. However, China and Wang Yi continue to express concerns about this agreement, as do other countries like Russia and North Korea who see it as a threat to their own interests. Despite assurances from both Australia and the US that AUKUS does not pose a threat to regional stability, tensions continue to rise as this agreement moves forward.
Overall, China’s growing influence in Papua New Guinea raises questions about its long-term goals for this region and beyond. As tensions escalate between Australia and its allies on one side and China on the other, it remains unclear how these two rival powers will ultimately resolve their differences and maintain peace and stability throughout Asia-Pacific
