Australia says Aukus is ‘transparent’, questions secrecy around China’s military build-up

Australia’s defence minister Richard Marles on Saturday sought to project the Aukus security alliance as a transparent initiative and took a jab at China for not being open about its nuclear and military expansion.
There was a difference between how Canberra was positioning its nuclear submarine acquisition from the agreement and how China had been silent on what was “the biggest conventional military build-up by any country since the end of World War II”, Marles explained as concerns were raised throughout the weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore.

“Australia having this capability will provide balance in the region. That is important in terms of deterrence, that is important in terms of providing pathways to peace,” Marles told CNBC on Saturday.