The US, UK and Australia have announced they are forming a new security alliance that will help equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
The alliance will see a reshaping of relations in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
US
Ten years ago under President Barack Obama, the US began discussing the need to focus more attention on the Indo-Pacific while pivoting away from conflicts in the Middle East.
Under President Joe Biden, the country has now withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan while finding that tensions with China have only grown. In the Pacific, the US and others have been concerned about China's actions in the South China Sea and its antipathy towards Japan, Taiwan and Australia.
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In announcing the deal, none of the three leaders mentioned China, although the alliance was seen as a provocative move by Beijing. The US had previously only shared nuclear propulsion technology with the UK. Biden said it was about ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term.
UK
Leaving the European Union under Brexit has left Britain seeking to reassert its global position. Part of that has been an increased focus – or tilt – towards the Indo-Pacific.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new alliance would allow the three nations to sharpen their focus on an increasingly complicated part of the world.