US, UK & AUSTRALIA TO FORM NEW PARTNERSHIP
The United States, Britain and Australia said they would establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific that will involve helping Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as Chinese influence over the region grows. Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared together virtually to detail the new alliance, which will be called AUKUS (pronounced AWK-us). The three announced they would quickly turn their attention to developing nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
The new security alliance is likely to be seen as a provocative move by China, which has repeatedly lashed out at Biden as he's sought to refocus US foreign policy on the Pacific in the early going of his presidency. Washington and its allies are looking for ways to push back against China's growing power and influence, particularly its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China Sea. The announcement comes just over a week before Biden is to host a first in-person meeting of leaders of the "Quad" group of countries - Australia, India, Japan and the United States - that Washington sees as a key means to stand up to China.
WHAT IS AUKUS?
AUKUS is a new enhanced security partnership between three major economies- Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. Australian PM Scott Morrison said that AUKUS is a partnership where our technology, our scientists, our industry, and defence force all working together to deliver a safer and more secure region. The enhanced trilateral security partnership will see Australia build a nuclear-powered fleet of submarines in a joint endeavor with the US and UK with the main focus being on interoperability, commonality and mutual benefit. The joint statement on the formation of trilateral defence partnership between Australia, US and UK read that the three nations are deeply committed to upholding their leadership on global non-proliferation.
MAJOR KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Focusing on Indo-Pacific: The security grouping AUKUS will focus on advancing strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region. Though the US has explicitly denied that the grouping is targeted against China, its Indo-pacific orientation makes it an alliance against China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea. The three countries alongside Canada and New Zealand already share extensive intelligence through the Five Eyes alliance.
Transferring Nuclear Submarines to Australia: As part of this initiative, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines with help from the UK and the US. This step is significant because the US has only shared nuclear submarine technology once before, and it started in 1958 with Great Britain. Nuclear submarines that are quieter than their conventional counterparts but also more capable of being deployed for longer periods and needing to surface less frequently. Alongside India’s stated intent to acquire more nuclear-powered submarines, it will amount to a step-change increase in the Quad’s undersea and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Quad is a grouping of India, USA, Australia and Japan. Australia is now set to join an elite group of only six countries – India, the US, the UK, France, Russia and China – that operate nuclear-powered submarines. It will also be the only country to have such submarines without having a civilian nuclear power industry.
Multi-Sectoral Cooperation: AUKUS will also involve a new architecture of meetings and engagements between the three countries, as well as cooperation across emerging technologies (applied AI, quantum technologies and undersea capabilities).
Australia will remain committed to fulfilling all of its obligations as the non-nuclear weapons state, including with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The joint statement emphasised that Australia will continue its position as a non-nuclear weapons state and will not be fielding nuclear weapons. It will, however, use nuclear propulsion systems for the vessels to guard against threats. The nuclear-powered submarines will be built in Adelaide in South Australia state, in close cooperation with the United States and Britain.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
UK PM Boris Johnson called it a momentous decision for Australia to acquire the technology and said it would make the world safer. US President Joe Biden said, “We all recognize the imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term.”We need to be able to address both the current strategic environment in the region and how it may evolve because the future of each of our nations and indeed the world depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific enduring and flourishing in the decades ahead."
AUKUS TO COUNTER CHINA?
The new trilateral security pact, AUKUS is perhaps another effort by the US and its allies to counter China's growing power and influence in the South China Sea. There was though no mention of China while announcing the partnership.
Background: France already has a substantial Indo-Pacific presence as a key partner & ally in strengthening the security & prosperity of the region. US President Joe Biden said that the US looks forward to working closely with France & other key countries as they go forward.
FIVE EYES ALLIANCE
The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement between five English-speaking democracies: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The alliance was created during the Cold War (1946-1991) that was fought between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as their respective allies. The alliance was needed to share sensitive information regarding their adversaries on all possible fronts available. It is often described as the world's most successful intelligence alliance.
TEST YOURSELF
Q.1 Which of the following countries would establish a security partnership (AUKUS) for the Indo-Pacific which acts as a counter force for Chinese influence over the region grows?
- US, Canada, Australia
- India, Japan & Australia
- US, UK & Australia: ANSWER
- None of the following
Q.2 Consider the given statements & state which of the following is/are correct in the reference to the above mentioned passage?
- AUKUS is a new enhanced security partnership between three major economies- Australia, United States of America & South Korea.
- The new trilateral security pact, AUKUS is perhaps another effort by the US and its allies to counter China's growing power and influence in the South China Sea.
- Only I follows
- Only II follows: ANSWER
- Both I & II follows
- None of the above
Q.3 Consider the given statements & state which of the following is/are incorrect in the reference to the South China Sea?
- The South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia.
- It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of India & Maldives and north of the island of Borneo: ANSWER
- It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea.
- None of the following
Q.4 Which of the following is not a member of the Five Eyes Alliance?
- USA
- Canada
- New Zealand
- France: ANSWER
Q.5 Which of the following was the reason that this 5-Eyes alliance recently came in news headlines?
- It signed agreement with Asian nations against the rising presence of China in the South China Sea.
- It recently issued a joint statement expressing their concern about increasing Chinese curbs on the autonomy of Hong Kong. : ANSWER
- It raised concern over China’s rising influence in the middle-east.
- It issued statement against China backed hacking of International Organizations.
