BLUF
Australia received a thunderous response from Southeast Asia when it announced its trilateral security partnership with the UK and the US in 2021—but was more cautious with the update on its chosen AUKUS submarine pathway.Summary
This article by the United States Studies Centre (USSC) makes the following points:
- Australian officials pursued transparent diplomacy, including briefing China on the submarine pathway.
- More than 60 phone calls were made by the Prime Minister (and other Ministers) in advance of the submarine announcement.
- Malaysia and Indonesia remained sceptical, while the Philippines and Taiwan offered strong support.
- The Government's diplomatic approach had the most significant impact among the Pacific Island States.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- National Defence: Defence Strategic Review 2023 COLLECTION | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
- The AUKUS debate Australia needs to have | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- MAR 2023 Penny Wong hits back at China’s claim Aukus nuclear submarines will fuel an arms race—The Guardian
- MAR 2023 AUKUS binds Britain to Australia and a free and open Indo-Pacific—ASPI
Source Information:
- Article Source: United States Studies Centre (ussc.edu.au)
- Media Check: USSC - About/Mission Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
- RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC.
