North Korea stated on Monday that the new US alliance in the Asia-Pacific region and the American deal to supply submarines to Australia could lead to a "nuclear arms race" in the area. The official Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that "these undesirable and very dangerous actions will disrupt the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger a series of nuclear arms races."
He added: "This shows that the United States is primarily responsible for putting the international nuclear non-proliferation system at risk." Seoul successfully conducted a ballistic missile launch from a submarine on Wednesday, making it the seventh country in the world to possess this technology. Just hours earlier, North Korea launched two nuclear-capable missiles towards the sea.
These series of missile tests and the defense deals in the Pacific highlight a rising regional arms race amid increasing competition between China and the United States. US President Joe Biden announced a new Australian-American-British defense alliance as part of a partnership viewed as aimed at countering China's rise. This partnership agreement provides Australia with American nuclear submarine technology, along with capabilities to counter cyberattacks and implement artificial intelligence, which has sidelined the French.
On Sunday, two informed sources reported that France canceled a meeting between its Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, and her British counterpart, which was scheduled to take place this week, after Australia canceled a submarine order from Paris in favor of a deal with Washington and London. In response to France's decision, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson emphasized on Sunday the "extremely important" relationship between Britain and France, amid Paris's anger over the announcement of a strategic partnership between the United States, Australia, and Britain that includes supplying Canberra with American submarines.
The North Korean official stated, "It is entirely natural for neighboring countries, including China, to condemn these actions as irresponsible acts that destroy peace and stability in the region." He added that North Korea "will definitely take countermeasures" if this has "any negative impact, even a slight one, on the security of our country."
