Australia FM stresses AUKUS will not create nuclear weapons

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stressed that her country’s security pact with the U.K. and the U.S. will not create nuclear weapons, and says she hopes concerns that it may spark a regional arms race will dissipate over time. Wong told reporters after meeting with her Malaysian counterpart that: “We are not a nuclear power. There are nuclear powers in this region, but Australia is not one of them.” Under the agreement, called AUKUS, Australia is to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Some countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Malaysia, fear the pact could escalate tensions in hot spots such as the disputed South China Sea, and have warned the pact will threaten regional stability.