Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is considering a visit to China to discuss a new Aukus alliance between Australia, the United States (UK) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Malaysian and Indonesian authorities have expressed concern about the potential arms race in the region, as opposed to the Philippine government supporting the deal.
Speaking to the Malaysian parliament on September 22, Hishammuddin told the Malaysian parliament, “We need to get the views of the Chinese leadership, especially from China’s defense, on the AQUS announced by the three countries.”
“When we are alone we have no strength. Our strength is when these 10 ASEAN member countries come together to defend the position and security of the region, ”he said.
He said he had spoken to Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton in recent days and called for more dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“This is because it has the potential to disrupt security and stability in the Southeast Asian region,” Hishammuddin said. “Therefore, all parties should refrain from using any military action that could be considered provocative.”
AUKUS’s announcement last week saw the three allies sign a new agreement that would boost cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cyber and Andersen capabilities.
At the heart of the deal, however, is the commitment of the United States and the United Kingdom to assist the Australian government in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
The move is justified in significantly affecting the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, while increasing Australia’s naval capabilities, making it one of the world’s leading nuclear-powered tribes despite not having a nuclear power.
Currently, only India, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, France and Russia have similar powers.
From the occupation of Hong Kong, the construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, economic coercion against Australia and the ongoing military build-up, AUKUS was formed amid growing concerns about Beijing’s position and aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Upstairs
Indonesian authorities issued a statement in response to AUKUS on 1 Sep September, saying it was “deeply concerned” about a possible arms race and power outages. It also emphasizes the importance of Australia’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Evan Laksmana, a senior research fellow at the Center on Asia and Globalization at the National University of Singapore, said Indonesia had a deep problem of becoming a “strategic visitor”.
“What can we do in the occasional ASEAN jubilation – without seeing from the sidelines – because its regional environment is getting worse and worse and the regional states have gone out for themselves?” He wrote September 16 Twitter.
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This News Originally From – The Epoch Times
