This unaltered story was originally published on RT Russian state media. [1]

(C) RT
This unaltered story was originally published on RT Russian state media. [1]
Published here by permission.
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UK defence minister slams 'overhyped' AUKUS pact criticism, rejects claims deal damages regional stability

By: ['Russia Today']

Date: 2021-10

The UK’s armed forces minister, James Heappey, has blasted critics who have been “overhyping” controversy around the Australian, US, and UK security pact known as AUKUS, standing by Britain's long-time partnership with its allies.

Speaking at an event in Kuala Lumpur to mark the 50th anniversary of the defence alliance between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK, Heappey defended the recently announced AUKUS pact.

“There has been a lot of, sort of, overhyping of AUKUS,” Heappey said. Although the UK defence minister didn’t blame a specific nation, he did state that it doesn’t mark a “reduction in our friendship with our great colleagues and allies in Paris.” Similarly, Heappey stood by the UK’s commitment to its global mission, and said the pact did not represent any “challenge” in the Indo-Pacific region.

The AUKUS deal has been met with divided opinions from the global community, including dividing Southeast Asian nations between those who support the pact and those that fear it will spark further regional disputes. Indonesia and Malaysia have previously warned that they fear it risks sparking an arms race between opposing superpowers, while the Philippines has praised the three-way alliance.

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France and China have been two of the biggest critics of the AUKUS agreement. French officials initially expressed anger over a belief that it had been cut out of the relationship and that Australia had abandoned an agreement for Paris to supply submarines to Canberra. China raised concerns that the three nations joining together could risk regional peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific area, as nations in that sphere disagree over control of the South China Sea.

Alongside Heappey’s support for the AUKUS deal, Australia’s defence minister, Peter Dutton, who was also at the Kuala Lumpur event, declared that the pact is not about interfering “with the operations of other nations” but about “providing peace in our region” and showing “friendship” with its allies.

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