Tag: AUKUS

Building Upon Success: Strengthening the Australian-US Alliance to Counter China Threat

Commentary Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott deserve credit for calling attention to the threat from the Chinese regime, supporting the Quad and Taiwan, and for working to reduce Australia’s economic dependence on China. The AUKUS agreement is another important step forward. While these positive steps have been taken, it…


AUKUS Submarine Deal to ‘Project Our Power’ North: Australian Ambassador to US

Australia’s ambassador to America, Arthur Sinodinos, has told a U.S. think tank that joining the AUKUS alliance was about projecting power towards the north and shaping the Indo-Pacific security environment. Under the communist regime, China’s expansion has changed the power equation in the Indo-Pacific and is challenging what is termed as the rules-based global order, Sinodinos…


Chinese Regime Leader Xi Jinping Gives Notice to Asia–Pacific in Criticism Against US

Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping has issued a warning to U.S.-friendly nations in the Asia–Pacific, in a thinly-veiled swipe against the formation of a Washington-led alliance against communism, during a prerecorded video address to the APEC summit on Nov. 11. “Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles on geopolitical grounds are bound to…


AUKUS Arms Race Fears ‘Misleading’: Defence Expert

Fears that AUKUS could spark an arms race in the Asia-Pacific are nothing more than a “knee-jerk reaction,” according to one defence expert, who said the trilateral pact between Australia, the U.S., and the UK would help maintain a balance of power in the troubled region. “Clearly, Australia is keen to dispel misperceptions about AUKUS,…


“A Golden Opportunity to Rebuild Something Substantial” but Australia Must Prove Itself: French Ambassador

The French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault has told the National Press Club that France feels betrayed by Australia actions around the submarine deal because they had entrusted a vital element of their national security to Australia. Thebault, who was addressing the Press Club, on Monday noted that the extent of what had been committed to Australia…


Australia Defence Minister Urges France to ‘Move On’ and Focus on China

The Australian Defence Minister, Peter Dutton has urged France to put aside “hurt feelings” over the cancellation of the submarine contract and focus instead on the “great uncertainty with China in our region.” France has been upset since Australia abandoned its submarine contract with it. French President Emmanuel Macron also alleged that Australian Prime Minister Scott…


France ‘Feigning’ Surprise About Submarines: Australia’s Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce on Wednesday defended Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison amid the diplomat row with France that erupted this week. Speaking to ABC radio, Joyce, who has been acting as prime minister while Morrison was abroad, noted that French President Emmanuel Macron calling Morrison a liar was a bigger diplomatic issue than the…


Former Australian PM Urges World to Reduce Dependence on China Supply Chain

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged Australian businesses to reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturing by finding alternative sources for key raw materials amid the mounting pressure on global supply chains caused by the pandemic. “I’d be a lot more scared about a shooting war with China than I would be about a couple…


Australian PM Stands Ground in the Face of French Anger

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been forced to explain the circumstances leading up to the cancellation of the AU$90 billion submarine deal with France after extensive criticism from commentators and media outlets. French President Emmanuel Macron on the weekend accused Morrison of lying to him around the circumstances related to the scrapping of the…


Macron Throws Mother of All Tantrums

Commentary After years of delays, cost blowouts, and subsequent crisis meetings with France’s Naval Group this September, Australia finally cancelled the disastrous program and instead opted for a U.S. or UK nuclear-powered submarine design to ensure national security was not further compromised. To use Australian parlance, that’s when French President Emmanuel Macron chucked the mother…