The AUKUS– an Indo-Pacific alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States is facing international backlash. While France described the alliance as ‘regrettable’, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Australian nuclear subs will be banned from New Zealand waters.
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an alliance with the UK and Australia that will allow for greater sharing of defense capabilities — including helping equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. It’s a move that could deepen a growing chasm in US-China relations.
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.
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Hours later, a joint statement by the French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly and foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed France’s concerns with respect to the alliance.
“The United States’ choice to exclude an European Union ally and partner such as France from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region (…) shows a lack of coherence that France can only note and regret,” French embassy’s tweet read.
New Zealand will not lift a decades-long ban on nuclear-powered vessels entering its waters in the wake of key ally Australia’s decision to develop a nuclear submarine fleet, AFP reported Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s statement.
It is a decision contrary to the letter and the spirit of the cooperation which prevailed between France and Australia, based on a relationship of political trust as on the development of an industrial and technological base of defense of very high level in Australia, the French press release read.
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France further confirmed that it desires ‘very ambitious action in this region aimed at preserving everyone’s freedom of sovereignty’.
The regrettable decision which has just been announced on the FSP program only reinforces the need to raise the issue of European strategic autonomy loud and clear. There is no other credible way to defend our interests and our values in the world, including in the Indo-Pacific, the statement further read.
The announcement of the new security alliance comes as the U.S.-China relationship has deteriorated. Beijing has taken exception to Biden administration officials repeatedly calling out China over human rights abuses in Xianjing province, the crackdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong, and cybersecurity breaches originating from China, as well as Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and what the White House has labeled as “coercive and unfair” trade practices.
With inputs from the Associated Press
