Prime Ministers of the period in September 2021 United Kingdom And Australia, Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison, together with US President Joe Biden, announced the establishment of the alliance AUKUS, the English abbreviation of the initials of the three countries. This is a strategic security agreement with its main objective in the Indo-Pacific region. stop China’s expansion in the region. Beyond the protests from Beijing, AUKUS launched a diplomatic confrontation with China. FranceThis became a dead letter after the new alliance was formed, as this country had a major contract with Canberra for the sale of submarines.
Alliance Goal
The alliance is a destined front. against the expansion and impact Chinese in the region, although none of the three partners openly recognized it. Beijing assessed that the agreement “seriously undermines regional peace and stability and international efforts for peace”. non-proliferation of nuclear weaponsA recent US Department of Defense report shows that China currently has the largest fleet of military ships in the world. nuclear submarines. In addition to the gun stock, there is also the concern of seeing how. commercial tentacles The Asian giant has spread around the world. A good example is Africa, which in recent years has become a supplier to a large part of the world. raw materials China needs to keep its enormous productive machinery running.
United States attendance policy
President’s Policy Joe Biden Not much different from its predecessor in relation to China, donald trump. The creation of AUKUS happened to one person. diplomatic attack For example, on a trip to Vietnam, US Vice President Kamala Harris openly urged the Asian country to ally with the US to challenge China’s “harassment”. Washington stands behind the Beijing regime’s allegations of human rights violations, including crackdowns on activists in Hong Kong, as well as accusations of cyber-attack and “coercive and unfair” trade practices. On the military front, the White House is concerned about deployments in the disputed South China Sea and the growing pressure on Russia. taiwan.
Australia’s role in the region
When Scott Morrison took office as Australia’s prime minister in August 2018, he said the country would continue. close business ties China and its main trading partnerAs it continues to develop excellent relations with its traditional partner, the United States, security. With AUKUS, Morrison destabilized what some experts describe as “bold step“Be aware that Australia’s relations with China have deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the outbreak of the epidemic. Pandemic. Canberra ultimately blamed Beijing for China’s expansion. corona virus Given the progress of China’s influence in Asia around the world, it is not surprising that Australia eagerly joins the strategic alliance of the three Anglo-Saxon nations.
The power of nuclear submarines
The agreement includes the construction of nuclear-powered submarines that will enable the Australian Navy to meet China’s technical level in terms of underwater vehicles. Australia will be the seventh country in the world to have such ships to be produced within the next ten years, and the first on the planet to have them without nuclear power. Such submarines can perform longer patrolsTravel longer underwater without having to surface as often. They can stay for three or four months without appearing, which will allow them to have a stronger presence in the region.
EU’s pending issue
Alliance statement was on the agenda European UnionDespite being one of the main members, Francewas the main victim of the deal. After concluding the agreement with the United States, Australia canceled the contract for the purchase of French conventional submarines, which is estimated at approx. 56,000 million euros. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian lashed out at Washington and likened Joe Biden to Donald Trump, “This cannot be done between allies.” The thing is, this move restarted the debate in Brussels. promoting “strategic autonomy”, one of the EU’s outstanding issues. He focused on the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, as emphasized by Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy.