‘Stab in the back’: French fury as Australia scraps submarine deal

France's foreign minister says move to buy nuclear subs from US in new defence pact is betrayal of trust

• China warns US-UK-Australia pact could hurt their own interests'

France has expressed fury over Australia's surprise decision to scrap a huge submarine deal in favour of nuclear-powered subs from the US, describing it as a stab in the back" from Canberra and a strain on its friendly relationship with Washington.

It's really a stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed," the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told France Info radio on Thursday.