Speaking to the media virtually after the 11th Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) defence ministers’ meeting at a hotel here, UK’s armed forces minister James Heappey said Aukus “doesn’t in any way represent a challenge in your part of the world (Indo-Pacific)”.
Under the controversial pact announced last month, the US and the UK will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines which will be deployed to sustain and “improve deterrence” across the Indo-Pacific. Some observers have interpreted this as a move to counter China’s influence in the region.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed concern over the pact during a meeting with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Sept 18, saying he felt Aukus could spark a nuclear arms race in the contested Indo-Pacific region.
At the Dewan Rakyat earlier this month, defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Aukus could undermine peace and stability in Southeast Asia, adding that it could also “provoke other powers to act more aggressively” in the hotly-contested South China Sea.
While China, with its nine-dash line is claiming much of the waters, and the natural reserves there, countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to the sea.
Aukus also saw Australia scrap a multibillion-dollar deal for French submarines, but Heappey said he felt there has been “a lot of overhyping” of Aukus, stressing that it doesn’t reflect any “reduction in our friendship” with the French.
Australia’s defence minister Peter Dutton, meanwhile, said that Aukus would complement Australia’s network of international partnerships, including the FPDA and Asean.
“From our perspective, Aukus will complement our collective efforts to meet the challenges and the changing circumstances in the Indo-Pacific so that it remains stable, secure, prosperous and free from coercion,” said Dutton.
Heappey and Dutton were joined by their counterparts from Singapore (Ng Eng Hen) and New Zealand (Peeni Henare) during the virtual FPDA press conference which was attended by Hishammuddin after the FPDA meeting, which was attended by the high commissioners and defence attaches from the respective countries.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the FPDA, a defence pact made up of Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
It is the second oldest military partnership after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Hishammuddin said that among the outcomes of today’s meeting included the ministers agreeing to focus on continuing high-end warfighting serials with the introduction of the latest technologies; enhancing the mission of counter-terrorism and maritime security; and progressively introducing cybersecurity into FPDA exercises.