In September 2021, Australia did something audacious. It bailed out of a multibillion-dollar deal to acquire conventional submarines from France, and announced it would embark on an ambitious project with Britain and the United States to build a fleet of nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines.
The decision generated much controversy. Understandably, France was up in arms. China warned about the dangers of nuclear proliferation and arms racing, while the reactions from South-east Asian countries were mixed.
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