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There is nothing that explicitly mentions China in the three-way deal, the people said, but both noted that the ad’s subtext is that it is another initiative of the three. Western allies to repel the rise of China in the military and technological fields.
“This is a surprising and extremely welcome sign of the Biden administration’s willingness to strengthen its close allies like Australia through the provision of highly advanced defense technology assistance – something Washington has rarely been willing to do. do, “said Ashley Townsend, director of foreign policy and defense program at the US Center in Sydney. “This suggests a new and more strategic approach to working collectively with allies on Indo-Pacific defense priorities.”
Australian newspaper Financial Review announced that Canberra would forgo a $ 90 billion submarine deal with France and will now acquire a US-made nuclear submarine. The French deal had long been in trouble, with the Naval Group, the French shipbuilder tasked with building the 12 submarines, and the Australian government arguing over design changes and cost increases.
A new class of nuclear-powered submarines would give Washington and its allies in the Pacific a powerful new tool in an attempt to contain Chinese military expansion, and would follow the current deployment of a British aircraft carrier in the region, and recent transits by French and German warships in the South China Sea.
The US and UK have long been partners on their nuclear-powered submarine programs, sharing technology between their different classes of ships. Bringing Australia into the fold would be a major step in increasing the ability of the three countries to operate together under the sea across the Pacific, while adding a powerful allied punch to the region that is currently lacking.
Beijing has a growing arsenal of missiles and its forces are more and more aggressive, sailing in recent days on warships near Japanese and American waters. It’s part of China’s efforts to assert its primacy in the Indo-Pacific and claim contested territories. Chinese officials say the territory that lies within the country’s “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea belongs to Beijing.
In response, the United States continues to forge partnerships with other countries that serve as a bulwark against China. One of these groups is known as the “Quad” and has the United States, Japan, Australia and India as members. Formed in its current iteration in 2017, the four-country team never says its economic, technological and military cooperation aims to thwart Beijing’s goals, but analysts say the Quad wouldn’t be as robust today without them. continued aggression from China. .
On September 24, the four leaders of the four nations will gather at the White House for the first-ever in-person rally at the group leadership level.
A trade war between China and Australia has also worsened relations between the countries. The dispute, which began in April 2020 after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an investigation into the origins of Covid-19, has cost the two countries around $ 4 billion. Josh Frydenberg, Australian treasurer, this month accused Beijing of trying to exert “political pressure” with sanctions on Australian products.
And Sino-Indian relations have also been strained, with recent fatal deadlocks at their long-contested border atop the Himalayas.
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