The U.S., U.K., and Australia have agreed to enter into a nuclear submarine cooperation. The cooperation will enable Australia to provide submarines for its Royal Australian Navy. This cooperation, called Aukus, will enable Australia to build its own nuclear submarines for the first time.
The cooperation is also aimed at the growing influence of the Chinese Navy in the Indo-Pacific region. For some time now, Western powers have been growing concerned about China’s increasing military power in the region. Earlier this year, the UK and Germany, among others, sent naval vessels to the region.
All sides have so far emphasized that the cooperation is not against any particular country.
The announcement was made Wednesday in a video conference between U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Even if the cooperation is not officially directed against China, it can still be assumed that the Chinese may feel attacked. This could add fuel to the fire of the ongoing conflicts between China and the Western alliances. Australia and the U.S. have long been in a trade dispute with China.