On the prospect of purchasing submarines from France,Albanese said:“I think President Macron answered that question when he noted Australia has not decided to change[its] strategy on the subject.”
Albanese,who met with US Vice-President Kamala Harris on Friday,said the government was “proceeding with the AUKUS arrangements”,adding that “there’s nothing ambiguous about it”.
Macron said on Thursday the prospect of France supplying Australia with some submarines was still “on the table”,even as the government pushes ahead with AUKUS.
He told reporters in Bangkok that Australia’s original deal with France was “not confrontational to China because they are not nuclear-powered submarines”.
“But the choice made by[former] prime minister[Scott] Morrison was the opposite,re-entering into nuclear confrontation,making himself completely dependent by deciding to equip themselves[with a] submarine fleet that the Australians are incapable of producing and maintaining in-house,” he said.
Although his comments were aimed at Morrison,Macron’s critique of Australia’s submarine policy also applies to the Albanese government given it is sticking with AUKUS.
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The government has said it will announce which form of nuclear-powered submarine it will purchase by March,and is expected to opt for an American,rather than a British,model.
The government has said it will comply with Australia’s nuclear proliferation obligations and the submarines will not be armed with nuclear weapons.
Asked whether he would support Taiwan joining the 11-nation CPTPP trade pact,Albanese said it was “a relationship between nation states that are recognised”. Australia does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but as a self-governing part of China.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham hit out at Albanese,saying membership of the pact shouldn’t be “tied to statehood status but considered on merits”.
Birmingham noted Albanese’s comments put him at odds with Japan,which has welcomed Taiwan’s bid.
A spokesman said the government did not have an official position on the issue.
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