US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) Partnership as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia participate at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California, United States.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Suggested by No. 2 State Department diplomats said on Wednesday that the AUKUS submarine project between Australia, Britain and the US could help deter any move by China against Taiwan.
The project, announced by the three countries in 2023, involves Australia acquiring nuclear-powered attack submarines as part of the allies’ efforts to push back China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific region.
But the three countries have been reluctant to publicly tie AUKUS to growing tensions with Taiwan, the democratically-ruled island that China claims as its territory, and Australia has said so. did not promise to support the US in any military conflict with Taiwan.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell made a rare connection between Taiwan and AUKUS, telling Washington’s Center for a New American Security think tank that the new submarine capabilities would enhance peace and stability, including the strait that separates China and Taiwan.
AUKUS’ submarine capabilities “have enormous implications in a variety of situations, including cross-strait events,” Campbell said.
“I can say that working closely with other countries, not only diplomatically but also in defense ways, has the effect of strengthening peace and stability in general,” he added.
China has called the AUKUS pact dangerous and warned it could spur a regional arms race.
US President Joe Biden has sought to strengthen cooperation with Asian allies, including Japan and the Philippines, amid China’s historic military buildup and its growing territorial assertiveness.
Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for a summit in Washington on April 11, and will meet with Kishida for a bilateral summit the day before.
Campbell said the meetings would mark a “massive modernization” of US-Japan relations and greater engagement between the three countries including in the South China Sea, where Washington has criticized the use of Chinese water cannons. coast guard on Philippine vessels near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
“There will be unprecedented trilateral engagement … you will see commitments by all three countries with respect to closer coordination and engagement in the South China Sea and elsewhere,” Campbell said.
The summit with Japan will bring a “historic” security partnership update, and steps “that will allow the United States and Japan to work more closely together on joint development, and potential co-production, of vital military and defense equipment,” Campbell said.
In Ukraine, he said the US government assessed that China had helped Moscow “retool” and that Russia had “almost completely re-formed militarily” after early setbacks in the war in Ukraine, Campbell said.
