BEIJING (Bloomberg): France isn’t the only country upset about a new security pact between the US, UK and Australia: Some South-East Asian nations are also worried the partnership could provoke China and spur a regional arms race.
The so-called AUKUS partnership, which will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, prompted China last week to warn of an arms race in a region riven by maritime territorial disputes. Since then, two key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Indonesia and Malaysia -- have voiced similar concerns.