BEIJING, March 31 -- Some politicians in Australia have repeatedly made erroneous remarks on bilateral relations and Taiwan question, to which the Chinese side has expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Thursday.
It is reported that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed before the federal election that Australia planed to establish a nuclear-powered submarine fleet and build a nuclear submarine base with the assistance from the US and the UK. And an AUD 38 billion plan to boost Australia’s military had also been announced. The Australian media commented that China's growing military strength is one of the reasons for that.
Wu pointed out that China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the Australian side, who maliciously hyped up the so-called “China military threat theory” to significantly expand its military strength and increase its military budget.
Wu also remarked that the nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia violates the object and purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), undermines the global nuclear non-proliferation regime as well as the regional peace and stability, which has been widely opposed by the international community.
As for the words from the Australian Assistant Minister for Defense that Australia has to get prepared for the Chinese possible military actions in Taiwan and elsewhere, Defense Spokesperson Wu said that Australia's erroneous remarks on Taiwan question are very dangerous. He stressed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs. Wu sternly warned that if Australia insists on clinging obstinately to its course, it must be prepared to pay a heavy price for interfering in China’s internal affairs.
