US submarine deal reshapes Indo-Pacific relations

United States and Britain are sharing nuclear-powered submarine technology with Australia with aim of ensuring peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region, but China and France are angry at formation of new security alliance.

U.S. h previously only shared nuclear propulsion technology with Britain, which allows submarines to travel faster and stay submerged for longer periods on time.

Ten years ago under President Barack Obama, U.S. began discussing need to focus more attention on Indo-Pacific region while pivoting away from conflicts in Middle East.

Under President Joe Biden, U.S. has now withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan while finding that tensions with China have only grown.

In Pacific, U.S. and ors have been concerned about China's aggressive actions in South China Sea and its antipathy toward Japan, Taiwan and Australia.

Dr. Timothy Heath, a Senior International Defense Researcher with RAND corporation, said Indo-Pacific region is expected to be a driving part of global economy, and China is becoming "a very powerful strategic competitor."

"It stretches into tre, technology, investment, and United States, with its allies and partners, are taking bolder and bolder steps to strengn US position in Asia," Heath said. "This agreement is just latest indication of that."

China claims new Australia, United Kingdom and United States alliance, reffered to as AUKUS,  would severely damage regional peace and stability, and jeopardize efforts to halt nuclear weapon proliferation.

"What China wants is to set terms for that peace and stability," Heath said. "In China's view, way that is done is if countries scale back ir alliance commitments with US, cooperate more with China, comply more with Chinese demands and expectations."

Heath says bi-lateral relations between Australia and China deteriorated in recent years due to political disputes over China's actions in Taiwan or Tibet, which resulted in China punishing Australia economically.

"Australians are happy to take Chinese money and happy to tre with m, but y refuse to change ir security arrangements or to change ir policies to accommodate Chinese political sensitivities," Heath ded.

France is also furious with new AUKUS initiative, as it will lose a nearly $100 billion deal to build diesel submarines for Australia.

As such, its anger on purely a commercial level would be understandable, particularly because France, since Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, is only European nation to have significant territorial possessions or a permanent military presence in Pacific.

" French are, to put it mildly, furious," said Matw Lee, a diplomatic writer for Associated Press.

"y say that y were excluded from any consultation with this new initiative," Lee ded. European Union more broly says it was also excluded and that this is a big mistake and very short-sighted by Biden ministration and Australians and Brits, because all of m have an interest in countering China's increasing influence."