The head of MI5, the British intelligence agency, has claimed that China is actively engaged in efforts to pilfer the UK’s nuclear technology secrets and disrupt the Aukus pact involving Australia, as reported by The Times. Ken McCallum, the Director-General of MI5, has issued a warning about Chinese spies attempting to infiltrate the Aukus pact, which is an agreement concerning nuclear submarines between the US, the UK, and Australia.
Although the nations involved have not explicitly stated it, the pact is generally perceived as an attempt to contain China’s increasingly provocative actions in the Indo-Pacific region.
“When you observed the broader Chinese public reaction to the announcement of the Aukus alliance, it can be inferred that they were not pleased,” McCallum stated, as quoted by The Times.
“Considering all other available information about how Chinese espionage and interference are being conducted, it would be a reasonable assumption that understanding what’s happening within Aukus and attempting to disrupt it would be a high priority for them if they had the means.”
The Aukus pact was unveiled by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021. The agreement will provide nuclear-powered submarines to the Royal Australian Navy, as Australia has never built such submarines before. In contrast, Britain has operated nuclear-powered submarines for six decades, while China already possesses nuclear-powered submarines.
The Aukus pact also entails collaboration among the three countries on advanced technology, with expectations that it will generate thousands of jobs across these nations.
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