AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

The trilateral security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) continues to be in the news. 

• AUKUS is based on a shared commitment of its three members to deepening diplomatic, security and defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to meet the challenges of the 21st century. 
• China has criticised AUKUS as an “exclusive bloc” that gravely undermines regional peace and security and reflects a Cold War mentality. 

The reason behind the formation of AUKUS

• The rise of China, its rapid militarisation and aggressive behaviour, is the trigger behind AUKUS.
• Historical defence partnerships: The transfer of sensitive submarine technology by the U.S. to the U.K. is an arrangement based on their long-standing Mutual Defence Agreement of 1958. 
  • The U.S. and the U.K. have fought together as allies, together with Australia, in the Second World War. 
  • The U.S. shared nuclear weapons technology with the U.K. following the merging of the latter’s nuclear weapons programme with the American Manhattan Project as early as 1943. 
    • The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada.
  • The first U.K. test was conducted in 1952 in the Montebello Islands in Australia
• Engagement with China: For three nations, their relations with China have recently been marked by a bad phase, especially with Australia.
  • While China remains Australia’s largest trading partner, relations between the two sides have been hit by a trade war. China has imposed stiff tariffs on Australian barley and wine exports and created barriers for products such as Timber and coal.
  • In 2017 and 2019, the Talisman Sabre exercises (a biennial exercise that is led by either Australia or the U.S.), conducted by the Royal Australian Navy, were tagged by a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel. 
  • China also used the same type of vessel to monitor the multilateral Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in 2018.
    • RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise
    • It is a biennial exercise that is hosted and administered by the United States Navy’s Indo-Pacific Command.

Quad and AUKUS

• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategic dialogue between the United States, India, Japan and Australia that is maintained by talks between member countries.
• The Quad and AUKUS are distinct, yet complementary. 
• Whereas the Quad initiatives engage with the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, the AUKUS is Pacific-centric oriented. 
• Such a strategy could potentially strengthen Japan’s security as well as that of Taiwan in the face of China’s mounting aggression.
• Shifting AUKUS’s focus to the Pacific Ocean could reassure ASEAN nations. 
• It could also maintain the balance of power in the Indian Ocean.  China’s potent military capacities must be taken seriously. 

Concerns for AUKUS

The ASEAN factor: There is also the matter of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) disunity over the emergence of AUKUS. 

• The Southeast Asian nations have been unable to agree on other issues before, such as developments in Myanmar or the strategic threats posed by China. 
• While AUKUS is clearly an attempt by the U.S. to bolster regional security, including securing Australia’s seaborne trade, any sudden increase in Australia’s naval capabilities is bound to cause unease in the region. 
• China is trying to exploit ASEAN’s concerns amidst worsening U.S.-China regional rivalry. 
• Australia reassured the region of its commitment to ASEAN centrality and its continued support for the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty as well as the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. 

Significance of AUKUS

• China’s naval power is enabling it to challenge U.S. dominance in the Pacific beyond the first island chain. 
  • China has a large and growing undersea fleet, including attack submarines, both nuclear-powered and diesel-electric.
• The U.S. is tempted to look at effective means to militarily counter China. 
• The Quad structure currently has neither the mandate nor the capability to achieve this. 
• There are limited options in the economic arena with China already having emerged as a global economic powerhouse. 
• AUKUS, though, provides an opportunity to the U.S. to place proxy submarine forces to limit China’s forays, especially in the Pacific Ocean.

Future of AUKUS

• The AUKUS joint statement clearly acknowledges that trilateral defence ties are decades old, and that AUKUS aims to further joint capabilities and interoperability. 
• The word “further” is key, since defence cooperation already exists. The other areas covered are cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, apart from undersea capabilities. 
• Elements in the broader agenda provide opportunities to the U.S., the U.K. and Australia to engage the regional countries. 
  • There are clear indications that New Zealand is open to cooperation with AUKUS in such areas, especially cyber, its nuclear-averse record notwithstanding. 
• All three nations will also play a major role in U.S.-led programmes such as Build Back Better World, Blue Dot Network and Clean Network, to meet the challenge of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The Hindu Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/aukus-could-rock-chinas-boat-in-the-indo-pacific/article37372664.ece

Question- Describe impact of AUKUS and Quad security agreements on India’s interest in the Indo pacific.