UK, US and Australia announce security partnership

The AUKUS pact will allow the three nations governments to strengthen the ability of each to support their security and defense interests, building on our longstanding and ongoing bilaterial ties. 

The pact will promote deeper information and technology sharing, foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, and deepen cooperation on a range of security and defense capabilities. 

A joint statement by the three world leaders read: “This is an historic opportunity for the three nations, with like-minded allies and partners, to protect shared values and promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”

A primary initiative of AUKUS will be an 18-month plan to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

The agreement has not been positively received by the People’s Republic of China. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the UK and the US “should abandon the obsolete Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical concepts and respect regional people’s aspiration and do more that is conducive to regional peace and stability and development - otherwise they will end up hurting their own interests.”