Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 20) — The Australian government has expressed confidence that their newly announced nuclear-powered submarine program under the AUKUS trilateral security pact will benefit the Indo-Pacific region, including the Philippines.
AUKUS is a security agreement between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom first announced in 2023.In an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines, Australian Ambassador HK Yu said that the nuclear-powered submarine program adheres to the highest form of international standard and would ensure transparency every step of the way.“Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines and not nuclear weapons because Australia also does not believe in the proliferation of nuclear weapons,” said Yu.The envoy added that the submarine program will be in accordance with the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).“This is really about Australia building our capabilities in what has become a very complex and strategic environment and through this, we can become a better defense partner to the Philippines and we know it is needed to secure peace and prosperity in the region,” said Yu. The envoy also responded to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s concern that the program is part of the “cold war mentality” of other states and would open a Pandora’s box that could endanger peace and stability.“It’s preventative and deterrence, we do not question states or countries building their defense capabilities but what Australia is concerned about is when there is no transparency. We are doing exactly that. We are increasing our defense capabilities in a very transparent and open way,” added Yu.The envoy also noted that Australian officials held consultations and meetings with their Filipino counterparts ahead of the announcement of the program last week.“We had a team that arrived from Canberra to talk to their counterparts in the Philippines prior to the announcement. We also had our foreign defense minister and chief of defense force talking to their counterparts over the phone before the announcement was made,” Yu said.The Department of Foreign Affairs expressed its support to the AUKUS trilateral pact to help ensure stability in the region.The DFA said that it took note of the assurances that AUKUS will help in preserving regional peace and stability.“For the Philippines, it is important that partnerships or arrangements in the Indo Pacific region, such as AUKUS, support our pursuit of deeper regional cooperation and sustained economic vitality and resilience,” the DFA said.
