Japan receives unofficial invitation to join AUKUS
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AUKUS - an alliance of nuclear war. Will Japan engage in nuclear cooperation with the same country that flattened it?
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Australian and US naval vessels sail through the South China Sea in April 2020. (Reuters)
Japan has received an invitation, though unofficial, to join AUKUS - tripartite military cooperation and alliance between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
While one Western alliance, NATO, deals with Russia in Europe, Anglo-Saxon powers need an alliance in the face of China - and plan to expand it, by inviting Japan to become the latest asset to the venture.
Read more: AUKUS Is a US Adventure Undermining Stability in Asia
The latest of AUKUS' news is their development of hypersonic missiles. Other than the strategic benefit that Japan can offer to the alliance, it can also offer its top-tier standards in cyberspace, quantum tech, and artificial intelligence. Such tools are to be used in developing hypersonic weapons, electronic warfare, and beyond.
Read more: China slams AUKUS for announcing developing hypersonic weapons
Opinions regarding joining the alliance vary. Some lawmakers in the Japanese government support joining the alliance to counter China in Asia, while others do not believe it is feasible for the reason that Japan already coordinates between the three countries, according to Sankei Shimbun. Furthermore, Japan will not be able to participate in some of the projects, namely nuclear submarines.
China perceives 'cold war mentality' in AUKUS
China denigrated a trilateral defense agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as part of which the former two would help the latter acquire nuclear technology, including nuclear-powered submarines.
Western media saw that the deal was aimed at China, despite none of the participants mentioning the Asian giant. However, they did mention regional security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, making their intentions clear on the matter.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States commented on the deal, calling on the three nations to "shake off their cold war mentality and ideological prejudice."
Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that countries "should not build exclusionary blocs targeting or harming the interests of third parties. In particular, they should shake off their Cold-War mentality and ideological prejudice."
