US President Joe Biden stirred up a video conference with his British and Australian counterparts on Wednesday. The reason for this is an agreement called AUKUS.
China has claimed that it will "endanger peace and stability" in the Indo-Pacific region and "increasing the arms race between countries".
After the news of this agreement, French media called it a serious blow to French diplomacy and said that it is also harmful to the arms industry.
AUKUS has also ended a multi-billion dollar agreement between France and Australia that was celebrated in Paris as the 'accord of the century'. Under this agreement, France was going to build 12 submarines for the Australian Navy.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yuve Le Drian told France Info on Thursday that "it's like stabbing me in the back."
The agreement is being called AUKUS due to the initials of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which aims to 'protect the interests of these three countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Under this agreement, Australia will make nuclear-capable submarines for the first time with American technology. The US has only shared this technology with the UK to date. This agreement between the two was done fifty years ago.
But why is there discussion at this time about the agreement signed fifty years ago?
became the backbone of the world economy
Although US officials have said that the deal is not intended to target China, experts say that the AUKUS agreement is a change in strategy and policy in the region.
Ramon Pacheco Pardo, an expert in Asia-Pacific in International Relations at King's College London, tells the BBC, "The Indo-Pacific region has become the key to the economy of the whole world at the moment. It can also be said that it is not only China's Rather, but it has also become the axis of the economy of the whole world including Japan, South Korea, India, and other countries.
The Indo-Pacific region is home to the world's two most populous countries, India and China. It also includes countries like Indonesia. More than half of the world's population lives in this area.
In the same way, half of the whole world's items are also produced here and there are the world's second (China) and third (Japan) largest economies. After them, there is also India which is fast catching growth and there is also South Korea which is included in the top 10 economies of the world.
Former British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab understood this. For this reason, during his visit to India in December last year, he had said, "If you take a long look at India and the Indo-Pacific region, you will find that there is huge potential for development here."
Chinese threat
Beyond the region's enormous economic and demographic burden, the concerns of the US and Western allies are about China's growing clout in the region.
Apart from this, the way China is taking action in this area and strengthening itself in the field of weapons has been a matter of concern for these countries.
Regarding China, Britain's Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC that China was "initiating one of the biggest military expenditures in history".
He had said, "It is rapidly increasing the strength of its navy and air force. It is also evident that it is also involved in some disputed areas. In those areas, our partners want to defend their territory. It's not something to be upset about either."
In the past few years, China has been accused of instigating disputes in the disputed areas of the Indo-Pacific region.
China claims that the entire South China Sea belongs to it, after which under the leadership of Xi Jinping, from cities on artificial islands to airstrips and tourism and military centers are being established there.
On the other hand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei have been claiming this area. For decades, different countries have claimed many of their islands, reefs, and different waters.
30% of the world's trade waterways
30% of the world's trade is done through this area. Although the US has never spoken on the issue of sovereignty, it has shown a military presence here, defending the argument of 'freedom of water transport'.
It is also believed that this area is also a store of valuable oil and gas.
Fearless Knovens, an expert on geopolitical relations in Asia and the Pacific at London's RUSI, says the projected economic growth in the region and its shipping routes would have "directly linked the national interest" of many countries here and outside. Huh.
He believes that there is a need for stability in this area based on international rules.
He says, "China's growing military prowess has fueled geopolitical concerns that are plaguing partners in the region, including London and Washington, that dwarf China's economic and military potential. are."
Pacheca Pardo of King's College London believes that AUKUS will add to the power and weight of the West in the region. He says that 'it can also serve to control China's behavior in the Indo-Pacific region.'
'Balance of power changing in the region'
With this agreement, Australia will join a special and small group of countries that have nuclear-powered submarines. These include America, Britain, France, India, and Russia.
Australia has insisted that it has no intention of developing a nuclear weapon and will continue to abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Sindh (NPT).
Nuclear submarines are much faster and more difficult to detect than conventional submarines. They can stay underwater for months, can release long-range missiles, and can carry heavy goods and weapons.
Yun Sun, co-director of the Stimson Center's East Asia Program in Washington, told the BBC: "The fact that a nuclear submarine will not make Australia more powerful than China, but it could change the balance of power in the region."
"If China encounters any security-related situation in the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait, it will affect the preparedness and response of the Chinese military," he said.
According to analysts, the presence of such a submarine in Australia could significantly increase America's influence in the region.
But its immediate effect will be that this agreement will poison the relationship between Australia and China.
The agreement was condemned in several articles published in China's state media on Thursday. Even more so, the Global Times claimed that Australia 'has become an enemy of China'.
AUKUS was formed within a month of America's exit from Afghanistan.
Pacheco Pardo of King's College London thinks there is no connection between the two cases but believes the agreement will give Washington a major achievement in improving the image of its attitude with allies. America was accused by its allies that it had decided to leave Afghanistan without their advice.
But expert Fearless Knowns believes it simply shows that the Indo-Pacific region is one of the Biden administration's priorities.
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