Zhang Jun, China’s envoy to the United Nations, spoke on Tuesday against the AUKUS partnership on developing hypersonic weapons. Speaking on a proposed deal on hypersonic weapons between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Jun warned of “things which may lead other parts of the world into crisis”, adding that AUKUS countries should avoid creating another “Ukraine-like crisis”.
Jun castigated the recent deal and urged the AUKUS partner countries to refrain from developing hypersonic weapons. He said countries who partner to develop hypersonic weapons could pave the way for another ‘Ukraine-like crisis’. The Chinese envoy also took a swipe at the western nations for entering into a deal that they were against.
“Anyone who does not want to see the Ukrainian crisis should refrain from doing things that may lead the other parts of the world into a crisis like this,” Zhang said regarding the AUKUS hypersonic deal.
“As the Chinese saying goes, if you do not like it, do not impose it against the others,” he said in a cutting remark against the countries. The comments came on the heels of the announcement made on Tuesday regarding the trilateral cooperation on the development of new hypersonic and electronic warfare weaponry between the AUKUS countries.
AUKUS to develop hypersonic weapons
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the AUKUS partners said they will work together to accelerate the development of advanced hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities. They also affirmed their commitment to cooperating on developing enhanced techniques to operate in an electronic warfare environment.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to AUKUS and to a free and open Indo-Pacific. In light of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified, and unlawful invasion of Ukraine, we reiterated our unwavering commitment to an international system that respects human rights, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes free from coercion,” the statement added.
It further added that these initiatives will add to the grouping’s existing efforts to deepen cooperation on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities.
AUKUS is a trilateral security alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, announced last September, seemingly to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The hypersonic missiles travel at the speed of Mach 5 and are known for remarkable manoeuvrability. They are 5 times faster than the speed of sound and have the unique capability of switching paths during flight.
