The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and Australia, have entered into a new trilateral defence deal, known as AUKUS to counter the threats from a perceived common enemy, China.
The leaders from the three countries had on Wednesday, announced the deal which will see them share advanced technologies including the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines in a thinly veiled bid to counter China.
The trio, now known by the acronym AUKUS, will make it easier for the three countries to share information and know-how in key technological areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, underwater systems, and long-range strike capabilities.
Biden, joined virtually by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday afternoon, detailed the reasons for the trilateral effort.
What British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Had To Say About AUKUS?
Boris Johnson who joined his counterpart in the United States and Australia virtually for the new defence deal, had:
“I’m delighted to join President Biden and Prime Minister Morrison to announce that the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States are creating a new trilateral defence partnership, known as AUKUS,
with the aim of working hand-in-glove to preserve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
We are opening a new chapter in our friendship and the first task of this partnership will be to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, emphasising of course that the submarines in question will be powered by nuclear reactors, not armed with nuclear weapons, and our work will be fully in line with our non-proliferation obligations.
This will be one of the most complex and technically demanding projects in the world, lasting for decades and requiring the most advanced technology,” he said.
He continued by adding that:
“It will draw on the expertise that the UK has acquired over generations,dating back to the launch of the Royal Navy’s first nuclear submarine over 60 years ago,and together with the other opportunities from AUKUS,creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs across the United Kingdom – including in Scotland, the North of England and the Midlands -taking forward this Government’s driving purpose of levelling up across the whole country.
We will have a new opportunity to reinforce Britain’s place at the leading edge of science and technology, strengthening our national expertise.
And perhaps most significantly, the UK, Australia and the US will be joined even more closely together, reflecting the measure of trust between us, the depth of our friendship,and the enduring strength of our shared values of freedom and democracy.
Only a handful of countries possess nuclear powered submarines
and it is a momentous decision for any nation to acquire this formidable capability,and perhaps equally momentous for any other state to come to its aid.But Australia is one of our oldest friends, a kindred nation and a fellow democracy,and a natural partner in this great enterprise.
Now the UK will embark on this project alongside our allies,making the world safer and generating jobs across the United Kingdom,” he added.
What The Prime Minister Of Australia Has To Say About The Deal?
Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison while speaking on the deal said:
“The first initiative under AUKUS is to enable Australia to deliver a conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability, leveraging decades of experience from the UK and US.
We intend to build these submarines in Adelaide but let me be very clear, Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
This new partnership is an historic opportunity for our three nations to protect shared values and promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Military modernisation is occurring at an unprecedented rate in the Indo-Pacific. Capabilities are rapidly advancing and their reach expanding. The technological edge enjoyed by Australia and our partners is narrowing.
Managing a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines will allow Australia to play a stronger role in contributing to the stability and prosperity of our region — not just for ourselves, but for our friends, and for our neighbours,” he added.
President Joe Biden On The Defence Partnership Said:
“This is about investing in our greatest source of strength, our alliances and updating them to better meet the threats of today and tomorrow,” Biden said.
“AUKUS — it sounds strange, all these acronyms, but it’s a good one.”
Opposition To The New Partnership Between US, UK And Australia?
According to the report by The Guardian Australia on Thursday 16th September 2021, a former Australian prime minister Paul Keating slammed the Australian nuclear submarine deal with the US and UK, saying it would further a “dramatic loss of Australian sovereignty”.
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that Australian submarines developed under the new Aukus defence pact will be banned from New Zealand waters, under the country’s longstanding nuclear-free policy.
“New Zealand is first and foremost a nation of the Pacific and we view foreign policy developments through the lens of what is in the best interest of the region.
We welcome the increased engagement of the UK and US in the region and reiterate our collective objective needs to be the delivery of peace and stability and the preservation of the international rules-based system.”
Australia scrapped an original submarine deal with France in announcing the new pact with the US and UK, which predictably drew a rebuke from Paris.
“The American choice to push aside a European ally and partner like France from a structural partnership with Australia at a time we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region … shows a lack of coherence that France can only acknowledge and regret,” French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and defence minister Florence Parly said in a joint statement.
The deal has also received criticism from domestic political actors, with the Greens leader Adam Bandt criticising the deal, and independent Senator Rex Patrick stressing the deal “must be subject to rigorous scrutiny before the federal election.”