WASHINGTON’S foreign policy is driven by the US industrial-military complex, a leading Chinese commentator said today, warning of an impending arms race triggered by a recent security pact.

The deal between Britain, the United States and Australia, known by the acronym Aukus, will undermine efforts to turn the Asia-Pacific region into a nuclear-free zone, Ding Gang wrote in the Global Times newspaper.

Mr Ding, a senior fellow at the Chongyang institute for financial studies, part of the Renmin University of China, said that sale of nuclear-powered submarines “may intensify the arms race,” echoing fears raised by countries in the region including China and North Korea.