Neil Breen has voiced his support for Australia’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. 

A landmark trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the US is seeking to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.

France described the deal as “a stab in the back” after it saw Australia’s $90 billion contract with shipbuilder Naval Group torn up.

“The threat from China is real,” Neil said. “They’ve been really after world domination.

“If publicly, our officials … are prepared to say what they say about China, … imagine what they know behind the scenes, … imagine what the intelligence community’s heard.

“Embrace it – yes, nuclear technology might be frightening, but in the modern world, they know how to handle it and this deal will help us in the long run.”

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