France is continuing to bristle at the cancelled nuclear-powered submarine contract with Australia.

Australia canceled the French deal last week in favor of a joint agreement with the U.S. and the U.K. that would make Australia only the seventh nation in the world to have nuclear-powered submarines.

The AKUS trilateral security pact will add a Western presence in the Pacific and leaders said it would preserve peace and stability in the region.

While not mentioned by name, many believe it is aimed at countering China.

China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said the pact reflected an outdated, Cold War, zero-sum mentality and had a narrow-minded geopolitical outlook.

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