On Thursday, September 16th, Biden’s administration received a large wave of backlash from China and accusations of betrayal from France; this was in response to the announcement made by President Biden and Scott Morrison, the Australian Prime Minister, along with Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister as they revealed the new strategy for the Indo-Pacific alliance according to the Washington Post’s, “Biden’s submarine accord with Australia angers both France and China,” by Karen DeYoung and Lily Kuo.
This Australian decision subsequently canceled an anticipated $66 billion agreement in which the U.S. would purchase 12 French diesel-powered submarines. According to the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, “this unilateral, sudden and [an] unforeseeable decision [that] very much recalls what Mr. Trump would do," as he revealed in an interview with France Info radio.
As indicated by the Washington Post, there was supposed to be a Friday night gala where the French Embassy would commemorate “the country’s naval assistance to American forces during the Revolutionary War,” but ended up being canceled “In what Paris clearly saw as an added insult...” (DeYoung & Kuo). The author concludes that the three-nation pact, AUKUS, “is clearly aimed at China, although the three leaders did not mention Beijing” (DeYoung & Kuo).
Although not confirmed, it is speculated that China bears six nuclear-powered attack submarines with the intent to increase their fleet in the coming decade. Conversely, the AUKUS countries persist that only conventional, not nuclear weapons will be carried.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian from Beijing explained that this alliance revealed “an outdated Cold War mentality” and then proceeded to alert Australia to “prepare for the worst,” without much specification. Since Australia has been locked in ‘a trade war’ with China for years, this alliance has caught China’s attention. In particular, the Washington Post explains that the state-run Global Times in China called out the United States in “losing its mind to trying to rally its allies against China” and alludes to the idea that Australia is becoming a servile follower of the U.S. government, whereas some of Australia views the pact as a new bond between them and the United States, a relationship that seemed to be dwindling at one point.
But in regards to France, they remain at odds with the United States as they have been linked to past conflicts with Trump asking him to “Leave our nation be,” according to the French Foreign Minister. Also, the deepest rift being that France did not support the United States’ Iraq invasion. In spite of all of this, Biden has pledged to repair European relations.
For Understanding:
While this submarine accord may not directly impact us, this alliance dispute relays the many facets of international trade conflicts. Although this may seem like a simple submarine trade, this can also be seen as an ambitious move in the chess game of strategizing alliances and trading weapons, nuclear or not. It is important to note that these hostile feelings between China, France, and the U.S. cannot be attributed solely to our current administration as tensions have festered for years.
While this remains a rather complex issue, it highlights the escalation of international arguments and how seemingly simple actions signal large power plays. For instance, while China critiques U.S. alliances, the U.S. criticizes China for the creation of new artificial islands in the South Pacific. As tensions continue to rise, it does tend to remind one of past, rising cold war efforts. With this in mind, it draws one to pull the significance out of international trade deals and the shifting of alliances.
But in this specific case, the aspect of business cannot be ignored. All countries compete for business in arms sales and alliances still remain. Just because the United States is on the rocks with China and France, does not mean the complete explosion of nuclear warfare. The AUKUS alliance could be a really beneficial pact for the sake of British-Australian relations and the restoration of such. In regards to Biden fulfilling his promise to repair the U.S.’ relationship with Europe, this specific action could cause some long-lasting issues. And with Australia in this power play, it is a matter of whether the country has the capability to operate a nuclear submarine force for the emerging Western Pacific environment and the question of the submarine force’s necessity.
Ultimately, international relations can reveal that seemingly simple trade deals can actually be infused with years of tensions and past administrations’ actions; although this stands complicated, these deals can spotlight the inner workings of war efforts.
Some things to consider
If we all compete for business in arms sales, why is this a big deal? Or do you see this to be significant enough for France and China to get so angry?
Do you guys agree this is something Trump would have done or is Biden simply another US president doing his job?
Do you agree with the Beijing Foreign Ministry that this bears a Cold War mentality?
Do you see this as a direct challenge to China or just a means of repairing alliances?
What are some possible benefits and negatives of aligning with Australia and Britain?
Check the sources/video for more information!
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