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How U.S., UK and Australia plan to counter China鈥檚 rise through strategic partnership - YouTube
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JUDY WOODRUFF: This evening at the White House,聽
President Biden, joined by the prime ministers聽聽
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of the United Kingdom and Australia, announced聽
a new partnership in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Chief among the announcements, an effort to聽
build nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.聽聽
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The one issue not mentioned by the three leaders,聽
but clearly driving this move, a rising China.
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Our foreign affairs correspondent, Nick聽
Schifrin, is here with me now with more.
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And, Nick, tell it was that the president聽
and the two prime ministers announced.
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NICK SCHIFRIN: Yes, so, this was聽
what they called a landmark defense聽聽
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and security partnership known聽
as AUKUS, Australia, U.K., U.S.
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This is about sharing technology, sharing聽
defense industries and cooperating militarily.聽聽
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They talked about defending shared interests.聽
But, as you just said, they didn't mention聽聽
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China. But this is about defending聽
shared interests against a rising China.
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Take a listen to President Biden and聽
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison,聽聽
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who appeared at the White House virtually.
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JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: Our聽
nations will update and enhance our shared ability聽聽
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to take on the threats of the 21st century,聽
just as we did in the 20th century, together.
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Our nations and our brave fighting forces have聽
stood shoulder to shoulder for literally more聽聽
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than 100 years, through the trench fighting in聽
World War I, the island hopping in World War II,聽聽
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during the frigid winters in Korea, and聽
the scorching heat of the Persian Gulf.
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SCOTT MORRISON, Australian Prime Minister:聽
AUKUS, a partnership where our technology,聽聽
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our scientists, our industry, our聽
defense forces are all working together聽聽
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to deliver a safer and more secure聽
region that ultimately benefits all.
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NICK SCHIFRIN: This is a giant,聽
strategic step for Australia, Judy.
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I asked Alan Tidwell, who directs the Center聽
for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies聽聽
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at Georgetown, how significant this聽
was for Australia to decide this.
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And he said it was the most important聽
announcement, most important decision聽聽
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that Australia has made since the early '50s,聽
since the Australia-New Zealand-U.S. treaty.
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ALAN TIDWELL, Georgetown University: This is聽
a significant this is a significant upgrading聽聽
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of the alliance between the United States聽
and Australia and a significant statement聽聽
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about the role that Australia envisions for聽
itself and the United States in the region.
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NICK SCHIFRIN: And, increasingly,聽
that role is the united one,聽聽
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Judy, the U.S. and Australia against China.
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For Australia, the U.S. becomes closer to聽
them and the alliance with the U.S. becomes聽聽
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more resilient. And the U.S. gets an ally that is聽
much more capable of deterring China on its own.
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JUDY WOODRUFF: So, how is the聽
United States doing that militarily?
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NICK SCHIFRIN: This is the premier聽
announcement today, what you said,聽聽
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nuclear-powered, conventionally聽
armed submarines for Australia.
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This is some of the U.S.' most trusted, most聽
secret technology. The U.S. has historically聽聽
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refused to provide this technology to anyone,聽
including its partners. In fact, the only聽聽
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time the U.S. has ever shared this technology聽
was with the U.K. more than 70 years ago.
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Australia currently has diesel electric聽
submarines. So it's a big investment for them聽聽
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to switch to nuclear submarines. And those聽
nuclear submarines, nuclear-powered submarines,聽聽
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will allow them to deploy farther, deploy more聽
stealthily, stay in strategically important areas,聽聽
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like the South China Sea, like Southeast聽
Asia, even as far as Taiwan that China has聽聽
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been using territorial claims throughout聽
that region, as Tidwell said again to me.
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ALAN TIDWELL: And so it could be that one聽
day China decides that it wants to curtail聽聽
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the transshipment of Australian ships聽
or other vessels through that region.
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And Australia has to protect those vessels. And聽
so what better way to do it than with a submarine?聽聽
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And so I think that it is -- it's based upon, in聽
part, Chinese behavior in the South China Sea.聽聽
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And they have created a problem that聽
is really leaving Australia with聽聽
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very few choices about how聽
it proceeds in the future.
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NICK SCHIFRIN: And China has not only聽
expanded its claims in the South China Sea.
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It's tried to punish Australia for steps it's聽
taken, one, to block Chinese 5G from coming聽聽
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into Australia, and, two, calling for simply聽
an investigation into the origins of COVID.
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China is Australia's number one trading聽
partner, Judy. And yet today is clearly聽聽
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a sign that Australia's deciding strategically聽
that the future is with the U.S. to counter China.
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JUDY WOODRUFF: And, as you say,聽
this is a big move that's happening.
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What are the people you talk to say聽
they expect China to do in response?
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NICK SCHIFRIN: They're not going to respond well.
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This will only reinforce what China already聽
believes is happening, which is the U.S.聽聽
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is trying to contain China聽
using what China calls gangs,聽聽
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as in the U.S. and its partners聽
are ganging up on China.
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But the Chinese experts I spoke to actually today聽
said -- they pointed out that, look, the Chinese聽聽
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Australia relationship is already bad.聽
China's wrath may actually be pointed聽聽
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to London. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was part聽聽
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of this announcement. China has not聽
punished London economically yet.
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But even though the experts say that this is a聽
response to Chinese behavior, that the U.S. and聽聽
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Australia are creating this greater military聽
alliance in order to counter Chinese behavior,聽聽
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there is no sign that China has any聽
intention of changing its own behavior.
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JUDY WOODRUFF: Significant developments,聽
and Nick Schifrin reporting on all that.
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And, meantime, our Yamiche Alcindor聽
was at the White House in the room聽聽
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where the president spoke, and she joins me now.
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So, Yamiche, how does this announcement,聽
this set of steps fit in with all the聽聽
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other international challenges the president's聽
facing right now, in particular, Afghanistan?
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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president, of course,聽聽
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is facing a number of challenges聽
on the foreign and domestic front.
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In the room, the president really had this spirit聽
of optimism, this idea that this new agreement聽聽
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was going to be him turning the page a bit, and聽
really focusing on what he wants to talk about,聽聽
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which is really working with U.S. allies, as聽
well as -- even though he didn't mention China,聽聽
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as Nick just said, also really focusing聽
on how to compete better with China.
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That said, Afghanistan didn't come聽
up. But there were questions shouted,聽聽
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including from myself and other reporters,聽
as President Biden walked away without聽聽
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taking questions. So that tells you, that聽
while the president wants to talk about聽聽
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this new agreement with the U.K. and Australia,聽
chief among people's minds is still on the issue聽聽
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of Afghanistan and the withdrawal and聽
the chaos and the people we left behind.
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Another note is, on the domestic front, the聽
president also sat down with two senators聽聽
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who Democrats are eying very closely. And聽
those senators, of course, are Senator Manchin,聽聽
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as well as Senator Sinema,聽
Senator Manchin, of course,聽聽
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being from West Virginia,聽
Sinema being from Arizona.
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These are two Republicans -- these are聽
two Democratic senators who Democrats聽聽
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really want to try to get on board on this聽
reconciliation bill. It's sort of what they聽聽
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have been calling a human infrastructure聽
package. It's a $3.5 trillion deal,聽聽
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the president really trying to get them on聽
board. So we will have to see what happens there.
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The other thing that the White House聽
tells me is that they're very focused聽聽
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on COVID and talking about that. So this聽
really shows you that the White House does聽聽
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not want to be talking about Afghanistan right聽
now, but it's still, of course, top of mind.
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JUDY WOODRUFF: A lot on the聽
president's plate today.
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Yamiche Alcindor reporting from the White House.
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Thank you, Yamiche.
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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks.
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