The US President (right) at a video conference with Australian Prime Minister Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (not in the picture).
(Photo: Reuters)
Washington The USA, Great Britain and Australia have forged a security pact for the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian colleague Scott Morrison presented the partnership in a virtual announcement on Wednesday, to which they were connected from their respective capitals. It is about securing peace and stability in the region in the long term, said Biden.
Under the terms of the agreement, the United States will provide Australia with the technology that will enable the country to build nuclear-powered submarines. The US government officials emphasized that the provision of nuclear weapons is not planned. “We will continue to meet all of our nuclear non-proliferation commitments,” said Morrison.
In the next 18 months, engineers, strategists and the military will examine what the “best way” is for Australia to get such modern submarines, as a senior White House representative said on Wednesday. The US government had previously agreed to share this “extremely confidential” technology – and that was the case with Great Britain around 70 years ago, the official said.
The US government and Australia are concerned about China’s increasing claim to power in the Indo-Pacific region. The White House official stressed, however, that the new alliance is not directed against any particular country. The announcement of the new partnership, including the possible sale of nuclear submarines, is unlikely to please the communist leadership in Beijing.
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China’s embassy in Washington condemned the security pact. Countries should “not form an exclusive bloc that targets or harms the interests of third parties. In particular, they should abandon their Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices, ”Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said when asked by Reuters.
Submarines powered by a nuclear reactor would enable Australia to operate submarines continuously for longer, they are also quieter and have more capabilities than conventional ones, the White House official said. But Australia is not aiming to own nuclear weapons, he stressed.
Australia has a billion dollar treaty with France
Australia had already signed a multi-billion dollar contract with France in 2016 to build twelve new submarines. The French offer, according to which the submarines should be delivered from 2030, prevailed against one of the German competitor ThyssenKrupp. The Shortfin Barracuda submarine fleet to be built in Australia was the largest military acquisition in the country’s history. It was initially unclear on Wednesday how the existing plan should be reconciled with the new cooperation with the USA and Great Britain.
Unlike Great Britain, Australia is not a member of the western defense alliance NATO, but is considered a close partner of the organization. Australia has participated in NATO military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to the bilateral relationship, the USA and Australia are also linked by the so-called “five eyes” partnership of the secret services. The alliance includes Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain and the USA. Biden also relies on an alliance called “Quad” for security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The quartet includes Australia, India, Japan and the USA. Biden will see the Alliance’s leaders at the White House next week.
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