North Korea says US submarine deal, alliance could trigger 'nuclear arms race'

20/9/2021 13:18

        North Korea's foreign ministry said a new US alliance in the Indo-Pacific and recent US submarine contract with Australia could trigger a "nuclear arms race" in the region.
        
        Last week the United States announced a new three-way security pact with Australia and Britain, as part of a strategic partnership under which US nuclear submarines will be supplied to Canberra.
        
        On Wednesday, nuclear-armed North Korea fired off two missiles into the sea, with Seoul successfully test-firing a submarine-launched ballistic missile hours later, becoming only the seventh country in the world with the technology.
        
        The spate of missile tests and bumper defense deals in the Pacific have highlighted a regional arms race that is intensifying as a China-US rivalry grows.