Australia not committed to help US in event of conflict over Taiwan

Australia “absolutely” has not promised to support the US in any military conflict over Taiwan in return for a deal to acquire US nuclear-powered attack submarines, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

Asked whether Australia had given the US any commitment to help during a conflict over Taiwan in return for access to the submarines, Marles told ABC television on Sunday: “Of course not, and nor was one sought”.

He said there was “absolutely not” a quid pro quo obligation on Australia from the deal.

Australia, the US and Britain unveiled the multi-decade AUKUS project on Monday. Canberra is to buy the US Virginia-class military submarines, with Britain and Australia eventually producing and operating a new submarine class, SSN-AUKUS.

AUKUS $246 billion deal

Australia’s centre-left Labor government says the $246 billion (A$368 billion) deal is necessary given China’s military buildup in the region, which it has labelled the largest since World War Two.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said on Sunday he was confident a scheduled visit to China to meet his counterpart Wang Wentao would go ahead, despite AUKUS.

Farrell said last month the meeting was a signal that Australia-China relations were thawing.

He expressed hope for a visit to China by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this year, according to a government transcript of his interview with Sky News.

Under the AUKUS deal, which Asian allies welcomed but which Beijing has called an act of nuclear proliferation, the US will sell Australia three subs, built by General Dynamics, in the early 2030s, with an option for Australia to buy two more.

The AUKUS programme is to start with a $4 billion (A$6 billion) investment over the next four years to expand a submarine base and the country’s submarine shipyards and train skilled workers.

Australia is also set to provide $2 billion (A$3 billion) to expand US and British shipbuilding capacity, with most of that to speed up production of US Virginia-class submarines.

Source: TRTworld.com