Co-chairing the eleventh round of the China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue together with EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out the three major dangers of the AUKUS treaty. First, it “draws lines on the basis of ideology and creates military blocs,” reviving the spirit of the Cold War. “At a time when the international community generally opposed the Cold War and division, the US flagrantly violated the policy statement of not engaging in a new Cold War, organized gangs to concoct Anglo-Saxon “small circles,” and placed geopolitical interests above international solidarity,” he said. “This is a typical Cold War mentality.” Second, it creates the danger of a new arms race. “This move will stimulate some regional countries to step up their military development, and even seek to break through the nuclear threshold, pushing up the risk of military conflicts,” he said. And third, it creates the danger of nuclear proliferation. “Taking the construction of nuclear-powered submarines as an excuse to provide non-nuclear countries with nuclear materials that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons will deprive weapons-grade HEU from the necessary supervision and bring a huge risk of nuclear proliferation,” he said. “This move will impact the nuclear non-proliferation regime, undermine the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty, and undermine the efforts of ASEAN countries to establish a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia.”
Wang contrasted these war-like moves on behalf of the Anglosphere to China’s attempt to bring the world together, noting Xi’s call for a Global Development Initiative and China’s application for membership in the CPTTP. “Who is inciting conflict and confrontation, endangering peace and stability, and who is promoting regional integration and promoting peaceful development, is clear at a glance, and the contrast is sharp.” he said. He called on the three countries to follow the trend of the times, change their course, and play a constructive role for regional peace and stability.
