“What the world needs is global cooperation to tackle shared threats of the pandemic and climate change, not a new cold war.”
Murad Qureshi, Stop the War, tackles the misguided motivations and justifications of the AUKUS “Security Pact,” pushing us closer to a Cold War with China.
On hearing the news of the US-UK-Australia Security Pact (AUKUS), l immediately thought that the phoney war was over, and we now have the Cold War properly on with China over the trade routes in the South China Seas, threatening peace and stability in the Pacific region.
The “Security Pact” will see Australia join only six other nations operating nucear powered submarines, with the rhetoric around the agreement clearly aimed at escalating tensions with China.
This comes after a British aircraft carrier was recently sent to the South China Sea in an aggressive and provocative gesture, supporting the massive US military build-up against China, long started by Trump.
The arguments for the deal are undone by the fact that the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are already involved in the joint military and intelligence operation, FiveEye.
In this pact, the Australians will acquire nuclear-propulsion technology enabling Canberra to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Ending an existing multi-billion deal with the French for the construction of 12 French designed conventional submarines. We are told this upgrade will not be armed with nuclear warheads.
New Zealand is not participating in this aggressive military alliance and thankfully its No Nuclear policy means that Australian nuclear-powered submarines will be banned from New Zealand’s ports and waters.
As for the Australians, the reality is while this war is being justified on defending trade routes, guess who their number one trading nation is for them? Yes, it is China of course. So they are going to spend $30 billion annually to protect the trade with China from the Chinese!
It is against the interests of the people of the world, to join the US and Australia in ratcheting up this aggression against China.
What the world needs is global cooperation to tackle shared threats of the pandemic and climate change, not a new cold war.
- Murad Qureshi is the former Chair of the Stop the War Coalition – see their website here, and follow them on Facebook and twitter.
