Furious China could NUKE Australia as sub pact with UK fuels chilling new arms race, claims state media

CHINA has warned Australia will become a “potential target for a nuclear strike” amid fears a submarine pact with America and Britain will fuel a terrifying arms race.   State-controlled media reported Chinese military experts fear the subs could be armed at short notice with nukes, despite assurances they will only carry conventional weapons. ReutersAustralia has been threatened with nuclear oblivion by China’s state-controlled media[/caption] Australia announced plans yesterday to acquire nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with the United States and Britain. Known as AUKUS, the pact will see Australia get the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines — but not armed with nukes — as part of an agreement intended to counter China’s rising military might.  Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian condemned the alliance as “seriously damaging regional peace and stability, intensifying the arms race, and undermining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons”. But the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, the Global Times, went one step further and directly threatened to nuke Australia. The article cited an anonymous “senior Chinese military expert” that the new submarines could potentially be fitted with nuclear weapons provided by the US or UK. He said: “This would make Australia a potential target for a nuclear strike, because nuclear-armed states like China and Russia are directly facing the threat from Australia’s nuclear submarines which serve US strategic demands.” Most read in The Sun get the piers in! Piers reveals he turned down 20 jobs before signing historic Sun deal MEG MY DAY Piers says his Sun job will give Meg nightmares after she tried to get him fired VAXX CONCERNING Brits to be plunged back into 'full lockdown' if vaccine-busting Covid hits EMMERWAIL Emmerdale legend quits soap after 22 years and has already filmed final scenes BIRTHDAY LOTTERY Babies born on these dates are the most successful WIN THE POOLE Harry Redknapp's former Sandbanks mansion sells for £10million in new record The article warned Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s ambition to ramp up Australia’s military “could bring destructive consequences” in the event of a nuclear war. China is believed to have between 250 and 350 nuclear weapons, compared to America’s colossal arsenal of 5,800 and Russia’s total of 6,375.  It is busy building “at least 250 long range missile silos” in three locations — sparking fears a new nuclear arms race is underway. A third missile silo field in a remote area in Inner Mongolia has reportedly been photographed by a European Space Agency satellite as Beijing launches its largest ever nuke expansion. Meanwhile, Taiwan staged anti-invasion drills amid fears China will launch an attack at any moment. It comes after China flew 19 nuke bombers and fighter jets into Taiwan air space, sparking World War Three fears. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.