China slams U.S.-led plan to give nuclear submarines to Australia

Beijing calls on Washington, London, Canberra to drop 'zero-sum game mentality'

China says the U.S. and U.K. decision to export nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia proves that they are using nuclear exports for geopolitical gains. © Reuters

ANDREW SHARP, Nikkei Asia deputy politics and economics editor

September 16, 2021 21:07 JST

TOKYO -- China slammed the new Indo-Pacific security alliance unveiled by the U.S., the U.K. and Australia on Wednesday, especially the plan to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing on Thursday that the three English-speaking nations should "abandon their Cold War and zero-sum game mentality." Otherwise, he said, they would "lift a rock that drops on their own feet," according to the Global Times, a Communist Party-backed newspaper.