Analysts believe that the announcement by Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, on Wednesday, that his country will acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as part of a new security partnership launched with the United States and Britain, came in response to China's moves in the Indo-Pacific region.
"The first major initiative under (this security treaty called) 'Ocos' will be for Australia to obtain A nuclear-powered submarine fleet.
The Guardian confirmed that it is widely understood that this agreement came in response to Beijing's expansion and aggression in the South China Sea and Taiwan.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons, Tom Tugendhat, said the decision came in response to China's recent moves in the Pacific region. "After years of bullying and trade hostility, and watching China encroach on the territorial waters of its neighbors such as the Philippines, Australia had no choice, neither the United States nor the United Kingdom," he added in a series of tweets.
He added: "Tonight, Beijing will have realized that pressure on Australia has led to a reaction. This is a strong answer to those who claim that Washington is not a reliable ally."
Although the Japanese government, which aims to strengthen its defense capabilities against a possible invasion of its southern islands by China, has not yet commented on the new alliance. The Asahi Shinbun said the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are clearly declaring cooperation against China.
"This allows Australia to play at a much higher level and promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, in addition to strengthening American capabilities in the region," a senior Biden administration official told CNN.
The US network stated that the announcement is the latest step by the United States to respond to China's military and technological rise.
The announcement comes about a week before Biden hosts the first meeting in person of the leaders of the "Quartet", which includes Australia, India and Japan, along with the United States, in an alliance that Washington sees as key to standing up to China.
The Biden administration has declared that the Indo-Pacific region has become the focus of its main foreign policy. The region has also witnessed a series of high-level visits from senior US officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
Australian media suggested that China would view the agreement as an attempt to counter its regional influence, according to Reuters, especially in the South China Sea, which is witnessing many disputes, especially between Beijing and Washington.
French anger
According to Reuters, the benefit of nuclear submarines lies in the fact that they do not have to dive into the deep sea, as it allows the crew to keep them submerged and remain hidden for a longer period, which conventional submarines do not enjoy without exposing themselves to detection.
It would potentially enhance the ADF's ability to operate in Australia's periphery and beyond, working more closely and more closely with Washington and London.
French anger
France expressed its anger very firmly on the words of its foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who considered that Australia had dealt his country a "stab in the back" and that Biden had taken a sudden decision, as was done by "Trump."For her part, the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, saw the termination of the contract "It is a dangerous matter from a geopolitical point of view and at the level of international politics."
Earlier, the French defense and foreign ministries announced in a joint statement that the cancellation of a contract worth 90 billion Australian dollars (56 billion euros), was an "unfortunate decision" and "contrary to the letter and spirit of cooperation that prevailed between France and Australia."
For his part, the British Prime Minister, who scored a major diplomatic victory with this alliance for his strategy to spare his country international isolation after it left the European Union, said that the treaty “will link the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States more closely, which reflects the level of trust between us and the depth of our friendship.”
Following the tripartite summit, a joint statement said, "Based on our shared history as maritime democracies, we share a common ambition to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines."
The statement clarified that what Australia will get are submarines that are powered by nuclear propulsion and are not equipped with nuclear weapons.
Earlier Wednesday, a senior White House official said that "the only country with which the United States has shared this type of nuclear propulsion technology is Britain" since 1958. "This is a fundamental and fundamental decision. This is a decision that will bind Australia, the United States and Britain for generations," he said. .
According to this official, the Okos Treaty also provides for cooperation between the three countries in the areas of cyber defense, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.
For its part, New Zealand announced that a decades-old ban on any nuclear-powered offshore vessels would apply to submarines that its neighbor and closest ally, Australia, intends to acquire.
0 Comments