Australians have been voicing concerns over the prospect of US Virginia-class submarines being armed with nuclear weapons while serviced in Australia due to risks relating to radioactive waste and regional security, the ABC broadcaster reported on Sunday.
Local residents in the Western Australian city of Rockingham have voiced these concerns during the meetings with Australian navy representatives ahead of plans to host the submarines at the HMAS Stirling naval base near the city from 2027, according to the report.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has previously said that the AUKUS trilateral cooperation between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia on nuclear-powered submarines breaches the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and called on the international community to assess the arrangement.
