With this in mind, Australia has been steadily modernising its military, ordering advanced, super-quiet French submarines, received its first batch of American stealth jets and boosted its advanced naval vessels. China’s increased assertiveness in the South China Sea, near Taiwan and on the border with India has many analysts concerned China is lowering the threshold for military action, making war more likely. Strategic aims in the region for both countries largely overlap, especially when it comes to deterring an ever-expanding Chinese regional influence.Īn increasingly erratic foreign policy under the Trump administration has made its allies nervous about the US’s long-term commitments in the region. Intelligence sharing, basing of US troops in-country and the purchase of major arms from the US are still key joint concepts.
Australia changes directionĪustralia is a key partner in the region for the US and cooperation between the two countries remains central to Australia’s new strategic thinking. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated clearly that the world post-COVID-19 will be “poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly” and that the country needed to be prepared for any eventuality.
Rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region account for what is being called a “game-changer” in the way the two countries think about protecting themselves from China’s rapid military expansion.Īustralia’s announcement in late June that it would boost defence spending over the next decade by 40 percent caught most observers by surprise. Within days of each other, two key United States allies – Australia and Japan – announced their intentions to boost defence spending and adopt a more aggressive military posture.
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