The US, the UK, and Australia have announced a historic trilateral pact on security and defense.
The new AUKUS treaty will bring the three countries closer together than ever before in sectors such as artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, crucial quantum computing technology, and defense-related industrial bases and supply networks.
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held a virtual press conference to announce their alliance.
“AUKUS will bring together our sailors, our scientists, and our industry to maintain and extend our edge in military capabilities and crucial technologies, including as cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum, and undersea domains,” Biden stated.
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This is a historic chance for the three nations to safeguard shared values and advance Indo-Pacific security and prosperity, according to a statement made by them on September 15th.
A key AUKUS program is an 18-month plan to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and the requisite technologies and infrastructure to maintain them.
According to a statement from No. 10 Downing Street: “To put it another way, AUKUS expresses the UK’s desire expressed in the Integrated Review: to strengthen ties with friends who share these values. Despite our countries already sharing considerable intelligence through the Five Eyes alliance, this deal demonstrates the high degree of confidence and collaboration that exists between us.”
The United States Studies Centre commented on the new partnership, saying: “Though it aims to deepen diplomatic, security and defense cooperation between the three states, AUKUS will focus specifically on deepening integration in defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains, with particular emphasis on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and new undersea capabilities.”
The People’s Republic of China has shown little interest in AUKUS. Speaking on behalf of China’s foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian said that Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States “should abandon the obsolete Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow geopolitical concepts and respect regional people’s aspiration and do more that is conducive to regional peace and stability and development – otherwise they will only harm their own interests.”