Int'l security affairs analyst on Washington's moves to expand nuclear submarine alliance
Noting that Washington is getting more pronounced in the nuclear proliferation moves with the approach of the fifth anniversary of the AUKUS, the US-led exclusive nuclear security technology alliance, the article said.
Recently, the US naval chief executive made remarks intended to instigate Japan and the ROK to possess nuclear submarines, saying that Japan with atomic power plants has been already possessed of technology, the basis of nuclear submarines, and that the ROK needs to set the purpose of possession of nuclear submarine with its characteristics of distant navigation as a premise and so it is wrong to purchase it symbolically.
The United States has already put the AUKUS, the nuclear submarine proliferation matrix, to the fore, increasing the danger level of nuclear proliferation by geometrical progression.
The United States made the confrontational address of AUKUS clear through the sale of nuclear submarines and transfer of nuclear technology to Australia, joint development of deep-sea unmanned submarine, and regularization of various kinds of joint military exercises among member states. And it is trying to generalize the experience to the ROK, Japan and other allies. Such dangerous behavior is raising serious concern from the international community.
Seoul suggested to Washington the issues of securing enriched uranium for nuclear fuel and revising the "US-ROK Nuclear Agreement" for the acquisition of the right to enrichment intended to carry on its nuclear submarine building plan. And the rulers of Tokyo have unreservedly advocated the theory of possession of nuclear submarines. The reality goes to prove that Washington's plan for "AUKUS 2.0", which allows the transfer of nuclear technology for munitions to non-nuclear allies, has entered the phase of full-scale expansion.
The US continued irresponsible and malicious practice in the nuclear field is the top risk factor accelerating the erosion of the international nuclear non-proliferation system, and this more strongly highlights the need for our state to bolster up its nuclear war deterrent means both in quality and quantity without the slightest stagnation and stalemate.
The international community should make a fair and uncompromising assessment of the US scheme to bring about a catastrophic nuclear domino happening while getting keen on the nuclear proliferation in different parts of the world, and make concerted and responsible efforts against it, the article added.