The US reconsideration of Australia's submarines is the victory of China | Today news

The White House’s overview of the Aukus Treaty – a security arrangement between the US, the United Kingdom and Australia – rattle one of Washington’s closest alliances and plays right in China’s hands. It sends another signal that America can only mean all alone. Former President Joe Biden, who was first announced in 2021, committed the MultiBillion-Dollar Agreement Washington and London to help Canberra develop a fleet of submarines over a 30-year period. It is designed to help Beijing’s growing influence in the Indo Pacific counteract. Donald Trump’s administration just put the plans in the limbo. The review will determine whether Aukus ‘is in line with the first agenda of the president,’ the Department of Defense said, adding that it is also aimed at making sure that allies contribute more to collective security and that the US defense industry can meet the domestic needs. These are valid concerns. US submarine production has been plagued by persistent delays and balloon costs. Elbridge Colby, a top policy adviser who is expected to play a central role in the study, has long warned that the US could end at a critical moment in its deterrent strategy against China at a critical moment. Colby is particularly concerned about a hypothetical conflict around Taiwan. This is another example of the White House’s pay-to-play approach to global partnerships, and how allies are left out in the cold to navigate the new environment. “Regardless of how this review goes, Australia should reduce its dependence on US weapons and technology,” Michael Shoebridge, founder and director of strategic analysis, a political consultant at Canberra. “We are probably slower than others to realize that America is our most powerful partner, but we need to do more for ourselves.” European countries have had a taste of what it means to be an American ally in Trump’s world. At the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Vice President JD Vance Participants chastised because they did not do enough to strengthen collective security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a similar message to Asian partners at the Shangri-La conference, a regional safety summit in Singapore. Countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea have long relied on America as a seat belt, but now Washington wants them to carry more of the cargo and increase military budgets. Esseth, meeting with Australia’s defense minister, Richard Marles, told him that Canberra should increase his military spending goal to 3.5% of GDP. Currently, by the middle of the 2030s, Australia is about 2.4% on track, and has already committed to getting additional investments. For Beijing, every move that reduces the Trump administration’s influence in the region is welcomed as a sign of disconnection. When Aukus was first announced, China expressed indignation of what he regarded as evidence of Washington’s attempts at inclusion. The Foreign Ministry repeated its resistance to the treaty on Thursday, adding that it opposes “everything that strengthens the risk of nuclear proliferation and exacerbates arms racing.” A re -education of the treaty will reinforce the narrative that reinforces Beijing that the US is an unreliable partner. In all likelihood, Aukus will survive, but perhaps not in the present form. Canberra can be forced to compromise, and provide concessions to Washington, including increasing its defense capabilities. But even though public rhetoric is one of long -term cooperation, Australia must start to weigh its options carefully. It can work more closely with other partners. In May, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, raised the prospect of a formal defense agreement between the trade block and Australia. Although it would in fact be challenging, given the number of countries involved, partnerships like this are worth exploring and must be pursued. The country has already begun strengthening defense ties with Japan through reciprocal access agreements, and worked with India under the quad framework on maritime safety and military exercises. These steps provide a basis for a more multipolar security strategy, which does not always lean so heavily on Washington’s changing priorities. Prime Minister Anthony Albanian is expected to meet Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the group of seven meetings in Canada, where they are likely to tackle the spending of trade and defense. This is a golden opportunity to impress the US president the benefits of connecting to Aukus under them, which maintains the US influence in the Indo-Pacific. Whether the US leader confirms the treaty whether it reforms, this review must serve as a wake -up call. For Australia, it is a reminder that even the nearest alliances are just as stable as the political moment they define. More from Bloomberg opinion: America will sell Australia between three and five Virginia class, conventionally armed core-powered submarines, with the first deliveries expected as soon as the early 2030s. In the longer term, Australia plans to build its own next generation submarines in partnership with the UK, using US technology in the 2040s. This column reflects the author’s personal views and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial or Bloomberg MP and its owners. Karishma Vaswani is a Bloomberg -Opinion columnist who covers the politics of Asia with a special focus on China. Previously, she was the BBC’s main presenter of Asia and worked for two decades for the BBC in Asia and South Asia. © 2025 Bloomberg MP This article was generated from an automatic news agency feed without edits to text.