‘Brainless’ Australia a target for ‘nuclear war’, warns top China expert

China has gone all out in its tantrum against Australia, with a top international relations expert warning we are now a target for “nuclear war”.

China has gone all out in its tantrum against Australia, with a top academic warning that we are now a target for “nuclear war” because of our submarine deal with the United States and Britain.

Victor Gao, who was once communist leader Deng Xiaoping’s translator, said the AUKUS pact announced last week was a “gross violation of international law” that will have “profound consequences” for “brainless” Aussies.

Following top secret negotiations with Britain and the US, Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week announced a deal for eight nuclear-powered submarines – aimed at dealing with “threats to regional stability”.

It comes as Chinese ships have been forcing their way into Japanese and Indonesian waters and making threats to invade Taiwan.

However, Mr Gao said that by signing up to the submarine deal, Australia has placed itself in the firing line.

Australia’s submarine deal has angered China. Picture: AFP

“Armed with nuclear submarines, Australia itself will be a target for possible nuclear attacks in the future,” the vice president for think tank the Centre for China and Globalisation told ABC’s China Tonight.

“You do not need to know whom it will be.

“The watershed moment will be if Australia will be armed with nuclear submarines to be locally produced in Australia.

“That will mean Australia will lose that privilege of not being targeted by nuclear weapons to other countries and that should be a wake-up call for all Australians.

“Do you really want to be a target in a possible nuclear war or do you want to be free from nuclear menace?”

Host Stan Grant pushed back, asking why Australia would be a nuclear target given the submarines are only nuclear-powered and won’t carry nuclear warheads. Mr Gao doubled down.

“Anything you do will have a consequence, and this is the most profound consequence,’ he said.

“And Australia and the United States and United Kingdom are being accused of violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is a gross violation of international law.

“And it will have consequences.”

Mr Gao also slammed Canberra’s close military ties with Washington, claiming Australia has a “blood treaty” with the US.

China says Australia has put itself in the firing line. Picture: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

“If the United States fire any single shot, you the Australians will have no choice but to fight together,” he said.

“In Afghanistan, in Korea, in Iraq, wherever the Americans find themselves in a war – the Australians are on the Americans’ side, as if the Australians do no have any brain power left – as if you only have your muscles.”

He went on to warn that Taiwan is “part of China” and slammed the ABC host for referring to an “invasion”.

“Listen to me – the reunification of Taiwan will happen by peaceful means preferably, and by non-peaceful means if necessary,’ he said.

“No country will be able to deprive China’s mission of national reunification.

“If the Australian Government want to stand in the way of that, be my guest – you will see what will be the consequences to Australia.”

Mr Gao’s comments are a continuation of a series of furious statements made by Chinese officials and Chinese media after Australia revealed its AUKUS pact last week.

An article, published by the Communist Party’s mouthpiece, the Global Times, claims that the new deal leaves Australia exposed.

“Among all of the US allies, the decision Australia made to acquire submarine technology from the US is the clearest indication of Canberra’s support for Washington’s idea of an international system to contain China’s economic rise,” the editorial states.

“As an independent nation to become a pawn of the US, the stakes are just too high for Canberra. Australia could face the most dangerous consequence of being cannon fodder in the event of a military showdown in the region.

The new deal was announced last week. Picture: Andrew Dakin/Australian Defence Force via Getty Images

“What’s even more ridiculous is that Australia also needs to foot the bill for playing the role of cannon fodder, and trashing its relationship with France, whose leaders must be annoyed to suddenly learn that its $90 billion submarine contract with Australia may be cancelled.”

However, Australia has defended the deal. Defence Minister Peter Dutton hit back at China’s “immature” criticism of the arrangement.

Speaking to Sky News Australia, Mr Dutton dismissed the outrage coming from Beijing.

“I think some of the propaganda we’ve seen from a number of spokespersons or the media outlets who speak on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, frankly, I think they make the case for us,” he said.

“I think their comments are counter-productive and immature and frankly embarrassing.”

He also downplayed concerns that France was snubbed in the deal.

“In the end, I don’t make any apologies for making a decision that’s in our country’s best interests,” he told Today.

“We do live in an uncertain time, and the advice to me was very clear that the nuclear sub was a much better platform for us than what the French were offering, and that was the decision we made.”