Illustrative Image
The new trilateral alliance cements US and UK resolve to counter China and revives western hegemony…
Written by Johanna Ross, journalist based in Edinburgh
For many, it came as a complete surprise. ‘AUKUS’ as it is to be known, announced somewhat out of the blue last night, is a security pact between the UK, US and Australia, focused on countering China in the Indo-Pacific. Britain and the US will aid their partner in building nuclear-powered submarines, which will be faster and harder to detect than the conventional submarines Australia currently possesses. In addition the three allies will cooperate in the areas of cyber security and artificial intelligence.
None other than the French Foreign Minister was visibly angry at the announcement of the brand new Trilateral Alliance when he spoke to French media on Thursday, referring to the move as a ‘stab in the back’ and a ‘betrayal of trust’ by the Australians. His indignation is understandable given in a few short minutes last night it was revealed that the pact will effectively replace the €50 billion ‘Future Submarine Program’ Australia had been working on with France for years. It speaks volumes about the disregard which these allies have for their European ally, the fact that an announcement of this proportion could be made without any consultation with their NATO partner.
One can see where the alliance has evolved from. It is a strictly ‘Anglo’ pact, excluding other European allies and fits in with Boris Johnson’s idea of a ‘Global Britain’ widening its reach in the Indo Pacific. Now that Johnson has removed Britain from the security ties that came with European Union membership, he can pursue his own geopolitical strategy, which as I have written before, is reminiscent of nineteenth century British imperialism. Britain is simply itching to play policeman in the Indo-Pacific, and Australia enables it to do so.
As for the US, since Trump declared China as enemy No.1 when he came to office, America has been keen to ramp up containment of the world’s second largest economic superpower. The rhetoric coming from the US administration has been increasingly aggressive towards China, and it has been successful in persuading its British allies to align with it in its anti-China policy, as seen from the scaling back of British government cooperation with Chinese communications giant Huawei. The US and UK have been united in their resolve that China and Russia represent the greatest threats to the West, despite warnings from some, including former British PM Tony Blair that Islamic extremism remains the main obstacle to global security.
It’s fair to say that the international response to the alliance has been muted. New Zealand has distanced itself from the pact, citing its anti-nuclear stance and ‘independent’ foreign policy. China is naturally concerned, with the Foreign Ministry stating it will ‘severely damage’ regional security and lead to an arms race. It is viewed from Beijing as an act of aggression, with western countries interfering in China’s sphere of influence.
Britain, of course, may have its own personal motivations for embarking on the project. It was recently revealed that the Defence Ministry is already making contingency plans for relocating Trident – the UK’s nuclear submarines – in the event of Scottish independence. Scots are traditionally anti-nuclear and the SNP policy is very clear that nuclear weapons would have to be removed in such an eventuality. There were rumours that the UK was thinking about moving the submarines abroad – now a much more likely proposition given the new AUKUS agreement. However, Boris Johnson also highlighted in his speech on Wednesday night that the new strategic alliance would create ‘hundreds of highly skilled jobs across the United Kingdom-including Scotland’ and as such he defiantly opposes any idea of Scottish independence and Trident removal.
More broadly however, and following on from last month’s chaotic western withdrawal from Afghanistan, this new trilateral alliance represents a reshifting of focus from regime change operations in the Middle East to countering China and Russia in the style of Victorian age great power politics. Unfortunately we know what that 19th century rivalry led to – an arms race and ultimately the First World War. There is no doubt that it will increase geopolitical tensions both regionally in the Indo-Pacific and internationally. The Anglosphere poking its nose into areas of the globe where it is not welcome never ended well.
You can follow the author on Twitter.
This makes Australia a legitimate target for the PRC in the event of a hot war. Australia should be very cautious about getting involved in this spat.
Australia already is a target due to its alliance with the US and the call for an investigation of the Origins of the new Corona Virus. Also, the HQ for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty is in Melbourne Australia. The reason is because Australia has by far the worlds largest Uranium resources. More than 3 times the nation who has the second largest. Keep in mind Australia already has a nuclear reactor. Therefore nothing has changed. With the worlds biggest rocket base in the 1950’s and the English testing its rockets and nukes in Australia its common knowledge that Australia already has nuclear weapons (ICBM’s) and is lying in the same way that Israel lies about its nuclear weapons. Its common sense that Australia has these weapons. Thus China is not a threat because of the fact that if they nuke Australia, Both the USA, the UK and Australia nuke them back. Think of Australia’s nuclear stores as an insurance policy in case the UK or the US are attacked pre-emptively. Its and insurance policy and not a conspiracy. Logic will help you understand this.
Indonesia is sitting right next to Australia with a population of 300 million (about the same as US’s, Australia has about 25 million), and Australia is an archenemy of Indonesia. Indonesia will likely to respond to this.
That statement is a very long stretch and as likely as saying that the Island of Fiji is a threat to Australia. Australia has alliances. Australia has the largest Uranium stores. Australia had the worlds largest rocket base in the 1950’s and already has a rocket industry. Australia has a nuclear reactor for many decades. Australia is the HQ for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Australia can have nuclear weapons any time it wants or actually already does have them yet lies about it as Israel does. Australia is where England tested all of its rockets and nuclear weapons in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Australia already has nuclear potential and Australia is the nation who decides who can have nuclear technology and who cant simply because they control the market and the NNPT (with the heavy hand of US and UK also). As for a conventional war with Indonesia, How many landing boats does Indonesia have? Did Indonesia win against Australia in East Timor? Do you think Indonesia can fit all of its fighting men and women onto its naval ships and successfully land them in Australia’s North where there is almost no population? Do they then invade through the Australian Desert and towards the major cities. Please use your brain, it helps to use it because it can save you from total embarrassment. China has 10,000 times greater chance of invading Taiwan then Indonesia has of invading Australia yet China hasnt tried yet. So if China cant invade Taiwan, how can Indonesia invade Australia? Have you done the math yet? What you should be asking is if Australia can invade Indonesia? Think of the many islands and the ships Australia has. Could it be done piece by piece? This is a much more entertaining question. Amphibious landing ships! By the way Indonesian forces train with Australian forces you dopey idiot!
Nice “trilateral pact” established from rome. The problem for western aligned garbage is that the Chinese have already established overland routes for energy, transportation etc.
The western fools are useless when trying to prevent further Eurasian integration. This century belongs to Eastern nations aligned with China, Russia etc.
The AIIB is part of the future which will serve billions of people. Contrast with the imf or world bank which are parasitic relics of the post WWII order.
Russia is not a fan of China. Russia’s biggest threat is China. You will find Russia siding with the UK and the USA in such a war as they have always done in every world war. Russia is far more aligned with the west than u think. Remember that the only reason Russia begun its pipelines to China was after the 2014 Maidan in Kiev. Why did Russia turn to china in 2014? why not before that? Russia has always tried to align with Europe but has been knocked out! A lot has changed since then. Do u think Russia is happy with China stealing its tech openly for all the world to see? You are sorely mistaken on Russia. Russian pipelines are leverage! Geopolitical tools! Thats what the Maidan was about in kiev to cut such leverage. This includes Syria (the pipelines from Qatar to go through Syria and Turkey into Southern Europe). Russia has leverage over Europe and some over China! Who has the other part of the leverage over China? The USA and UK! How? Naval Blockades! How does China get its oil and gas without depending too much on Russia? Iran? Saudi? Saudi is a US lapdog. Iran cant get its oil to China without ships transporting it. Those ships must traverse through the Singapore Straits! Now China must contend with India, Japan, Australia, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea. How does China battle a sea war to enable ships from iran to come to China? Venezuela cant help either. Venezuela is in USA’s back yard and any Chinese navy going to help might have to use the Panama Canal (an easy kill) to get there fast. The long route would be just as bad.
Now u understand why China needs to build its silk road towards Iran. The question is how can this be done without a war with India? Who does Russia help in such a war? Ask yourself that question!
China is leveraged! Russia has leverage and so does the USA and UK. China has no friends because of its IP theft and Covid lies. Its only friend is the UN and the WHO.