Former Australian prime minister also says Britain ‘like an old theme park sliding into the Atlantic’ compared to modern China
- Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
- Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing
The former Australian prime minister Paul Keating has denounced the US- and UK-backed plan for nuclear-powered submarines as “like throwing a handful of toothpicks at the mountain”, declaring Australia should avoid being drawn into a war with China.
The former Labor leader on Wednesday accused the major Australian political parties of losing their way on foreign policy, while dismissing the credibility of the UK’s “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific region.