STORY: The Australian Navy is to be equipped with nuclear submarines to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. This is provided by a pact of the so-called Aukus Alliance, a military alliance between the USA, Australia and Great Britain. US President Joe Biden called the plans a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region at a top-level meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday in San Diego. He doesn’t see it as a challenge for anyone. These submarines are nuclear powered, not nuclear armed. Australia is and will remain a proud non-nuclear weapon state. These boats will not have any nuclear weapons on board.” Australia is to buy three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines by the early 2030s. According to the agreement, there is an option to buy two more boats. All three countries want a new submarine together – Develop the “SSN-Aukus” class type. A British design is planned with “cutting-edge technologies” from the USA. The boats are to be built in Great Britain and Australia. China has condemned Aukus as a nuclear armament. The US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan , dismissed the concerns, citing Beijing’s military buildup, which included nuclear-powered submarines.