US, Britain, Australia eye security pact expansion

The U.S., Britain and Australia are considering a possible expansion of their alliance, known as AUKUS, which has been hailed as a landmark coalition designed to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

AUKUS defense leaders said in a Monday statement that the alliance can benefit from including other “like-minded partners,” such as Japan, in the second pillar of the alliance, which involves coordination on developing advanced technology.

“Recognizing Japan’s strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects,” they said in the statement.

The statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, British Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles is a sign of AUKUS deepening close to three years after the alliance was first formed.

Japan has long been a key ally for the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, but Tokyo is stepping up its defense commitments to meet the rising threat from Beijing. Japan is boosting its defense spending and reversing policies that prevented the exports of lethal weapons to allies.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also met with President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol last year in a historic meeting at Camp David, where all three nations deepened ties.

The shift from Japan comes as China has threatened to invade the self-governing island nation of Taiwan in the near future, possibly in 2027, the date Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told his troops to be ready for a potential attack.

The U.S. is shoring up alliances in a bid to deter China from invading Taiwan and to prepare in the event that an attack does happen.

Washington has hailed the 2021 agreement that created the AUKUS alliance, which aims to deliver conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and enhance cooperation of advanced technology.

Under AUKUS, Canberra will develop its own nuclear-powered submarines but first purchase three Virginia-class submarines from the U.S., a process approved in Washington last year by Congress in the 2024 defense bill.

In the Monday statement, AUKUS defense leaders said Canberra marked major progress last month with the announcement that Australian shipbuilding company ASC Pty Ltd and British defense contractor BAE Systems would work on delivering submarines for Australia.

AUKUS also aims to increase port visits from allied submarines to Australia, and the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Annapolis visited Canberra in March.

Australian sailors also arrived in Guam in January for training on submarine maintenance, while others will train this summer on operating nuclear-powered submarines. Australian civilian contractors are additionally expected to head to the U.S. for submarine-related training.

Defense leaders in AUKUS also announced steps toward improving advanced technology development, including through private sector investment and enhanced government cooperation. The 2024 defense bill passed by Congress included an amendment to facilitate the transfer of technology between AUKUS nations without the need for an export license.