Aukus: UK, US and Australia don launch pact to counter China

UK, US and Australia don announce one security agreement wey make history, for Asia-Pacific, wey be like e counter China.

Dis agreement go let Australia build nuclear-power submarines for di first time, using technology wey US go provide.

Di Aukus pact, wey also cover Artificial Intelligence (AI) and oda technologies,na one of di kontris biggest defence partnerships for many years, analysts say.

China don condemn di agreement as "extremely irresponsible".

China foreign ministry tok-tok pesin Zhao Lijian say, dis "seriously threaten regional peace and stability and make arms race worse".

China embassy for Washington accuse di kontris of "Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice".

Di Aukus pact also make pipo para for France, wey don lose deal wit Australia to build 12 submarines.

"Na really stab for back," France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian tell France Info radio.

Dem announce di new partnership for one joint virtual press conference between US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and im Australia counterpart Scott Morrison on Wednesday.

Although dem no mention China directly, di three leaders bin refer many times to regional palava wey dem say dey "grown significantly".

Speaking to BBC, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said China dey "do one of di biggest military spending for history".

"E dey grow im navy [and] air force big time. Obviously e get hand for some disputed areas," im tok. "Our partner dem for dis region want to fit stand dia own ground."

For recent years, many kontris don accuse Beijing of raising tensions for territories wey dem dey drag like di South China Sea.

On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said di pact go "preserve security and stability around di world" and generate "hundreds of high-skilled jobs".

Im also said dia relationship wit France dey "rock solid".

Di Aukus alliance na probably di most significant security arrangement between di three kontri since World War Two, sabi pipo tok.

The pact go focus on military capability, dis go separate am from di Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance wey also include New Zealand and Canada.

While Australia submarines na di big-ticket item, Aukus go also involve di sharing of cyber capabilities and oda undersea technologies.

"Dis na historic opportunity for di three kontris, wey get firends and partners wit di same kind of mind, to protect values wey dem share and promote security and prosperity for di Indo-Pacific region," di joint statement tok.

" Dis one really show say all di three kontris dey draw line for sand to start and counter [China] aggressive moves for di Indo-Pacific," Guy Boekenstein from the Asia Society Australia tok.

Western kontris don dey worry about China infrastructure investment for di Pacific islands, and dem also don also criticise China trade sanctions against countries like Australia.

For di past, Australia bin maintain good relationship wit China, im biggest business partner. But di relationship don break down in recent years sake of political tensions.

But now too tension dey between and France, after Australia tear A$50bn (€31bn; £27bn) deal to build 12 submarines.

"We bin establish relationship of trust wit Australia, dem don betray di trust," Oga Le Drian tok.

Why nuclear-power submarines?

Di submarines dey much faster and harder to detect dan ordinary ones. Dem fit dey under water for months, shoot missiles longer distances and also carry more.

E dey critical for di submarines to base for Australia as e go give US influence for di region, sabi pipo tok.

Di US dey share im submarine technology for di first time in 50 years. Before, e don only share di technology wit UK.

Australia go become just di number seven kontri for world to operate nuclear-power submarines, after di US, UK, France, China, India and Russia.

Australia don assure again say e no get plans to get nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile New Zealand say e go ban Australia submarines from im waters, according to di policy on di presence of nuclear-power submarines.

Although New Zealand na member of Five Eyes, e dey very careful to take sides wit either di US China for di Pacific.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern say nobody don come meet her kontri to join di pact.