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Expansion of AUKUS is risky step in dangerous direction — Chinese Defense Ministry

"China demands that Japan "adhere to the path of peaceful development, be prudent in its words and deeds in the field of military security," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said

BEIJING, March 28. /TASS/. Any expansion of the AUKUS defense alliance (Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States) will be viewed by China as a dangerous step towards increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said, commenting on Japan potentially working with the alliance.

"Any attempt to expand or improve military cooperation between the United States, Britain and Australia is a dangerous step in a more dangerous direction," Wu Qian said at a briefing. "This will only cause great concern among the countries of the region and the international community."

He called on the AUKUS countries to stop destabilizing the region. China demands that Japan "adhere to the path of peaceful development, be prudent in its words and deeds in the field of military security," Wu Qian added.

Earlier, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, citing American officials, reported that the United States is negotiating with Australia and the United Kingdom on possibly inviting Japan to take part in defense cooperation with AUKUS.

AUKUS is a security partnership between the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, established in September 2021 to implement a number of joint defense initiatives in two main areas. The first of these involves providing Australia with a fleet of nuclear attack submarines. The second is related to the joint development of military equipment in eight areas, including underwater systems, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, cybersecurity and electronic warfare, hypersonic aircraft and means of interception, as well as innovations and information exchange technologies.

The countries of the alliance have not ruled out expanding the organization to include countries from the Indo-Pacific region. In this regard, Russia and China express concern and urge AUKUS members to strictly comply with their obligations on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

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