AUKUS in talks with Canada, Japan, NZ, say leaders

SYDNEY (Reuters) - AUKUS partners Australia, Britain and the United States said on Wednesday they are in discussions with Canada, Japan and New Zealand about potential collaboration on defence technology projects.

The AUKUS defence technology partnership will deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia next decade, and is collaborating on other advanced weapons development they say will boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, amid concern over China's naval build-up.

The Australian, British and U.S. leaders said that new partners could contribute to the so-called AUKUS "Pillar Two", which does not involve nuclear submarines.

"We are consulting with Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II," the leaders said in a joint statement to mark the third AUKUS anniversary.

Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair said this month on a visit to Tokyo that Canada was in talks with AUKUS about joining projects, but did not give details.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the consultation is "a continuation of New Zealand's careful, deliberate exploration under successive governments of what engaging with AUKUS Pillar 2 would mean for us as a country in strategic and economic terms".

New Zealand has a long history of being nuclear-free.

"We will continue to have an open and transparent discussion with New Zealanders about the issues at stake," Peters posted on his X account on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney and Lucy Craymer in Wellington; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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