Defence Minister Richard Marles is in final negotiations on Australia’s pathway to nuclear-powered submarines.

Mr Marles is en route to the United States after holding talks with his British counterpart Ben Wallace and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. 

Australia is set to unveil its plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines through the tripartite security agreement between Canberra, London and Washington in March. 

The ABC is reporting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could travel to the US to make the announcement in March alongside President Joe Biden and Mr Sunak.

Mr Marles said the acquisition would change the nation’s international standing. 

“It will dramatically build our capability and with that, it will build our sovereignty,” he said after the Australian and UK foreign and defence ministers met in London.

“But the significance of Britain and America working together to help us have that technology is one which in international terms is also highly significant.”

Beijing has ramped up its criticism of the AUKUS alliance and US posturing in the Indo-Pacific. 

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning attacked Australia’s planned acquisition of submarines. 

“The Asia-Pacific is an anchor for peace and development, not a chessboard for major-country rivalry. China is committed to upholding regional peace and stability,” she said. 

“We oppose anything that undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. We think it’s important to guard against the risk of nuclear proliferation and avoid stoking an arms race in the Asia-Pacific.”

Mr Wallace said the AUKUS nations could potentially work on the design, development and construction on the submarines together. 

But he noted the pathway forward, including how the build would occur, remained the decision of Australia’s government. 

“It’s a joint endeavour. Whether that is the sharing of technology and the understanding of how to do it, the sharing of the build, or the sharing of the design,” he said after the ministers’ meeting.

“So, whatever option is chosen by Australia, it will be collaborative.”

The UK minister of state for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan says the submarines will help in the patrolling of the Indo-Pacific and securing trade routes. 

“Free and fair trade work if the waterways are clear and safe,” she said.

“A lot of the Royal Navy’s job for several hundreds years was chasing pirates to allow those ships that want to move goods around to do so. 

“So the Australian commitment to want to have a next generation of submarines, which they can help assure the region’s security, is one that we are absolutely committed to helping.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia was acquiring the submarines “to contribute to a region that is stable, prosperous, peaceful, and in which sovereignty is respected”.

By Dominic Giannini in Canberra

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