Britain's Foreign Secretary on Sunday defended the country's new security relationship with Australia and the United States as showing "readiness to be hard-headed in defending our interests," despite more furious reaction from France.

As part of the alliance, Australia tore up a deal for French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels, sparking outrage in Paris which recalled France's ambassadors to Canberra and Washington in an unprecedented move.

Liz Truss wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that the pact, announced this week, "shows our commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region" and demonstrated the government's ambition to build a "Global Britain" following its departure form the European Union.

"Our new security pact will not just make us safer at home, it could also create hundreds of new and high-skilled jobs," she wrote.

"By positioning the UK at the heart of a network of economic, diplomatic and security partnerships... we are making our country safer and more competitive, standing up for our values."

Truss, who was promoted to the role on Wednesday, said the move highlighted Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "vision for Global Britain".

But her French counterpart on Saturday said Britain was a "third wheel" in the deal as he accused Sydney and Washington of lying over the ruptured Australian contract to buy French submarines, warning a grave crisis was underway between the allies.

Speaking to France 2 television, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian gave no indication Paris was prepared to let the crisis die down, using distinctly undiplomatic language towards Australia, the US and Britain.

"There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt," Le Drian said. "This will not do."

Le Drian also issued a stinging response to a question over why France had not recalled its ambassador to Britain.

"We have recalled our ambassadors to (Canberra and Washington) to re-evaluate the situation. With Britain, there is no need. We know their constant opportunism. So there is no need to bring our ambassador back to explain," he said.

Of London's role in the pact under Johnson, he added with derision: "Britain in this whole thing is a bit like the third wheel."

US President Joe Biden announced the new Australia-US-Britain defence alliance on Wednesday, in a pact widely seen as aimed at countering the rise of China.

French, UK defence ministers' meeting off amid sub row: Paris source
Paris (AFP) Sept 19, 2021 - France has cancelled a meeting set for this week between its Defence Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace, a source at her ministry told AFP Sunday.

The move comes after the United States, Australia and the UK sparked a full-blown diplomatic crisis with France by announcing a strategic partnership under which US nuclear submarines will be supplied to Australia, effectively sidelining France.

The "meeting planned for this week in London... will not take place due to the French cancelling", said the ministry source.

Australia's decision to tear up a contract to buy French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels sparked outrage in Paris last week.

In an unprecedented move, French President Emmanuel Macron recalled France's ambassadors to Canberra and Washington.

In London, a Ministry of Defence source said they could neither confirm nor deny the cancellation of the meeting, but added: "The UK remains in conversation with our French counterparts about the meetings.

"We continue to have a strong and close-working defence partnership with France, as they remain trusted allies of the UK and we continue to work with France in many equipment and operational domains."

The French contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia was worth Aus$50 billion ($36.5 billion, 31 billion euros) when signed in 2016.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has described the snub to France as a "stab in the back".

The behaviour of US President Joe Biden's administration had been comparable to that of Donald Trump, whose sudden changes in policy long exasperated European allies, he added.

"There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt," Le Drian told France 2 television on Saturday.

Britain, he dismissed as the "third wheel" in the US-Anglo-Australian partnership.

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