Australian nuclear sub to depend on UK, US for air: Editorial flash

News reports show that the latest Australian nuclear submarine plan will be based on a design of the UK and use US components.

Enough has been said on its immediate challenge to the global nuclear non-proliferation mechanism and threat to regional peace in the Asia-Pacific. It's more noteworthy that the plan means Australia will fall further into becoming an inferior subordinate of the US and UK as their convenient dustbin of outdated weaponry.

Being built on the UK design means London could decide what models Australia would get, highly possibly not the most advanced. Using US components means Washington could decide whether to allow Australia's maintenance of its to-be-built nuclear submarines.

To quote a Chinese idiom, Australia's planned nuclear submarine depends on the UK and US nose to breathe. The UK has more than one beggar-thy-ally records even during World War II, while the US has hunted allies' companies from France's Alston to Japan's Toshiba then to Germany's Siemens, to which Australia has no reason to be an exception.

Sydney will soon come to realize it will lose more than it gains from the nuclear submarine plan.