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Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is considering a trip to China to discuss the newly formed AUKUS alliance between Australia, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Malaysian and Indonesian authorities have expressed concern about the potential arms race in the region, in contrast to the Philippine government, which supported the agreement.
“We need to get feedback from Chinese leaders, especially China’s defense, about AUKUS announced by the three countries, and what are their actions after the announcement,” Hishamuddin said. Told the Malaysian Parliament September 22nd.
“Our strength is not when we are alone. Our strength is to ensure that these 10 ASEAN member states are united to protect the position and security of the region. “He said.
He went on to say he recently spoke with Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton and called for further dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“This is because it can disrupt the security and stability of the Southeast Asian region,” said Hishamuddin. “Therefore, all political parties should refrain from using military actions that could be considered provocative.”
At AUKUS’s announcement last week, three allies signed a new agreement to strengthen collaboration across areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cyber and submarine capabilities.
But at the heart of the agreement is a pledge from the US and British governments to help the Australian Government acquire a nuclear submarine.
The move is claimed to have a significant impact on the Indo-Pacific power balance while increasing the effectiveness of Australia’s naval capabilities, and despite being non-nuclear, six countries around the world operate nuclear-powered submarines. It is one.
Currently, only India, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, France and Russia have similar capabilities.
The formation of AUKUS raises concerns about Beijing’s attitude and aggression in the Indo-Pacific region due to actions such as the takeover of Hong Kong, the construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, economic coercion against Australia, and ongoing military construction. Up.
Indonesian authorities Make a statement In response to AUKUS’s statement on September 17 that it was “deeply concerned” about the arms race and the potential for power projection. He also emphasized the importance of Australia’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Evan Laxmana, a senior researcher at the Center for Asian Globalization at the National University of Singapore, said the more serious problem was that Indonesia would become a “strategic spectator.”
“As the local environment continues to deteriorate and the nations of the region are self-reliant, what can we do other than watch over from bystanders? Perhaps there are occasional ASEAN cheers,” he wrote. Twitter on September 16th..
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