AUKUS deal: China’s Global Times hits back at Australian, UK and US pact with chilling warning in editorial

China mouthpiece the Global Times has penned a strongly worded editorial against Australia’s historic deal with the US and UK, warning Canberra had turned itself into an adversary of Beijing. The article also included a chilling warning that Australian military personnel were “most likely to be the first batch of Western soldiers to waste their lives in the South China Sea”. The outlet said the US was “losing its mind” over China’s rise and that “Canberra will most likely become a target of Beijing’s countermeasures to send a warning to others”. “Thus, Australians troops are also most likely to be the first batch of western soldiers to waste their lives in the South China Sea,” the editorial stated. “There used to be no grudges between China and Australia. Due to the geographical distance, there are no geopolitical conflicts between the two countries as well. “However, by pursuing a one-sided policy tilting toward the US in the China-US strategic game, Australia has turned itself into an adversary of China. “It is now escalating its confrontation with China by conducting nuclear-powered submarine patrols that are clearly targeted at China.” The outlet said no matter what Australia did to bolster its defence capability it was “still a running dog of the US”. “We advise Canberra not to think that it has the capability to intimidate China if it acquires nuclear-powered submarines and offensive missiles. If Australia dares to provoke China more blatantly because of that, or even find fault militarily, China will certainly punish it with no mercy.” The outlet said there now could be “nuclear-powered submarine fever” by other nations. “Although Washington claims that Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines will not carry nuclear weapons, such restrictions are not reliable. From the very beginning, nuclear-powered submarines are designed to be strategic striking tools.” “This will effectively legalise the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by all countries the world needs to prepare for the arrival of a ‘nuclear-powered submarine fever’.” The Global Times said the war in Afghanistan had “seriously embarrassed” the US and as such it was engaging in such pacts with Australia to bolster itself. “Washington is losing its mind by trying to rally its allies against China, creating antagonism and destruction beyond its control. It has been immersed in attacking China without seriously assessing the possibility of backfiring,” the editorial stated. “The US and its allies are messing up the world. They are even touching the bottom line of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Here comes an interesting question: Who is more capable of withstanding the global chaos? China or them?” In a regular press briefing Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said AUKUS “seriously undermines regional peace and stability and intensifies the arms race”. Mr Morrison did not brief China on the announcement prior to this morning’s trilateral press conference between himself, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson. Relations between Beijing and Canberra have been at an all-time low since Australia called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. Following that move China began implementing economic sanctions on Australian exporters and goods. Mr Morrison briefed his regional counterparts yesterday on the new alliance and nuclear submarines deal and he said there was an “open invitation” to speak with President Xi Jinping. However no ministers have had dialogue with their counterparts in more than a year.