Foreign experts comment on AUKUS trilateral partnership

2024-04-26 05:58:15 News & Society

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The creation of AUKUS ? a new security partnership between Australia, Great Britain and the United States, which led to the breakdown of the defense contract between Canberra and Paris for the supply of 12 Barracuda-class attack submarines totaling more than 50 billion euros, received mixed assessments.

As part of the agreement, Australia plans to build at least 8 nuclear submarines using American technology, as well as re-equip its armed forces with American cruise missiles. In Paris, Australia?s decision was called a ?stab in the back? and betraying.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian noted that the start of trilateral cooperation on nuclear submarines ?gravely undermines regional peace and stability, aggravates arms race and impairs international nuclear non-proliferation efforts.?

According to Christoph Heusgen, a former German ambassador to the UN, the emergence of the new alliance has led to a ?big loss of trust? in the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his approval for AUKUS, while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia has raised a number of questions with the United States in connection with the creation of the alliance and will also present them to colleagues from Australia and Great Britain.

Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne stated that the AUKUS partnership was created for the exchange of technology and is not a military or security alliance.

Analyzing the creation of AUKUS and its prospects, independent researcher Murray Hunter pointed out that the factual information provided on the new partnership is not yet sufficient to draw clear conclusions.

?At this stage there is very little detail about the actualities of AUKUS. The Australian subs will take a decade to go online into service. [?] Australia today has little ability to militarily project itself, except for some naval ships more in Aux roles. [...] I see AUKUS more as a regeneration of the ANZUS agreement with the UK taking New Zealand?s place,? the expert said.

According to him, on paper today, the AUKUS alliance makes no strategic difference in the Indo-Pacific ? the only tangible issue so far is the intention of Washington and London to transfer nuclear submarines to Australia on a long-term lease and to give to Australia technology for their construction.

At the same time, the prospects for the development of cooperation, in his opinion, remain unpredictable.

?It will completely depend upon the next US presidency. Nothing can happen much in the next few years, except for some exercises. [?] However, AUKUS will not replace any defense policy. It?s not a policy, just some undefined intentions,? the analyst said.

He added that there are some adverse effects ? other than France ? coming out.

?Singapore is not enthusiastic to the idea, but accepting it, Malaysia is critical that it may promote an arms race in the region. Indonesia is the most critical ? it reminded Australia to observe treaties,? Murray Hunter said, stressing that the South East Asian response hasn?t been positive for Canberra.

In turn, Clive Williams, Visiting Fellow at the ANU?s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, expressed the opinion that AUKUS is intended to contain China?s growing military capability.

?The AUKUS agreement covers cooperation on artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, underwater capabilities, and long-range strike capabilities. It will also include assistance with establishing nuclear support facilities, probably to be located near Adelaide in South Australia. AUKUS will focus on military capabilities, differentiating it from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance that includes New Zealand and Canada,? the expert said.

Read the full article: https://penzanews.ru/en/analysis/67275-2021