In a move described as a rearrangement of the force structure in the Pacific region, the “Ocos” alliance was launched between the three countries in mid-September 2021, as the agreement included the exchange of information and knowledge in the fields of security, defense, technology and artificial intelligence.
Under the agreement, the United States and Britain will for the first time give technology necessary to Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines, which means Washington will share its submarine technology for the first time in 50 years, after it had previously only shared it with Britain.
The US-Australian-British tripartite move was met with Chinese criticism at the time by the Chinese embassy in Washington, calling on the three countries to “get rid of the Cold War mentality and ideological bias”, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that “the alliance risks causing serious damage to regional peace and intensifying the arms race.”
“Today we pledged to begin a new trilateral collaboration on hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as broadening information sharing and deepening cooperation in defense innovation,” US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian counterpart Scott Morrison said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
power race
Commenting on this, the American expert on strategic affairs, Irina Zuckerman, said that the security alliance “aims at strengthening defense relations between countries, which are already part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, to counter the growing Chinese threat in the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, as well as threats other regional.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Zuckerman added: “China has already viewed this new alliance as an attempt to counter its regional influence. In recent years, China has made great strides in developing advanced naval vessels, hypersonic weapons and other technologies, while The Pentagon has been criticized for lagging behind and for letting US naval capabilities determine.”
She pointed out that “the alliance aims to confront the threat to maritime security and international trade routes, but in particular it responds to the threats posed to Australia by the escalating crisis in relations with China and to enhance joint security work in the Indo-Pacific region.”
American fears
He noted, “Although Australia is the direct target of China’s threats in the Indo-Pacific, the United States has growing concerns about China’s role in the region. This is partly why many administrations have tried to shift from the Middle East to focus on confronting a threat China by increasing its naval military presence in key regions.
She continued, “The Biden administration has prioritized developing its strategy in this region by focusing on strengthening alliances with key partners, developing emerging partnerships, and driving innovation. This focus has broad support from Congress in addition to the support of other allies such as Japan and India.”
According to Zuckerman, “US concerns about China’s growing role in the region include the need to keep the Indo-Pacific region free and open, support freedom of navigation in both sea and airspace, support democratic institutions, protect free societies from Chinese interference, and provide an innovative approach to both.” And the Internet and cyberspace to protect communications from disruption. China has already tried to cause various forms of disruption in all of these areas.”
She explained that the Biden administration is trying to provide incentives for the countries of this region to join the United States in the face of China’s dominance as a united front. However, it is not clear whether these incentives are sufficient or not,” stressing that “the Biden administration has a long way to go, and it will need to take concrete steps to strengthen bilateral relations with each country before they can be taken seriously in the multilateral regional strategic context.” In contrast, China has been effective in projecting and using its power even outside certain blocs.
The alliance caused diplomatic tension between America and France, as the nuclear submarine deal caused Canberra to break the $40 billion contract to buy French submarines, with Paris describing the matter as a “stab in the back”.
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