Daily US Times: North Korea has condemned Aukus, a new security pact between the UK, US and Australia, saying it could trigger a “nuclear arms race”.
A Foreign Ministry official of the country said the partnership would “upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region”.
The deal will see the UK and US give Australia the technology and advice to build nuclear-powered submarines.
It is widely considered as an effort to counter China’s influence in the contested South China Sea.
The deal announced last week and will also cover Artificial Intelligence, cruise missiles and other technologies.
A DPRK Foreign Ministry official said, referring to the security agreement: “These are extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of nuclear arms race.”
North Korea carried out two major weapons tests last week – that of a ballistic missile and a long-range cruise missile.
China has also criticised the deal. The country’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying the alliance risked “severely damaging regional peace… and intensifying the arms race”.
North Korea said it was “quite natural that neighbouring countries [like] China condemned these actions as irresponsible ones of destroying the peace and stability of the region”.
The Aukus pact will see the United States share its submarine technology for the first time in 60 years, having previously only shared it once with the UK.
It means Australia will be able to build nuclear-powered submarines. These kind of submarines are faster and harder to detect than conventionally powered fleets.
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