AUKUS: Pact of Discord

Martin Woolridge 3 years ago 2 min read

First Amendment: 25/09/2021 – 01:20

“AUKUS” is the name given to the military alliance signed between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia (comes from the contraction of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the English names of the members). This alliance corresponds to an ambitious high-level security agreement, in which these three countries will exchange advanced defense technology to counter China’s advance in the Indo-Pacific region.

The goal of this most resonant agreement was the fact that Australia would be able to assemble nuclear-powered submarines, even though that country had assured that it would not have nuclear weapons. Previously, France and Australia had already cooperated on a binding agreement since 2016, which included an order for a series of attack-class submarines, but it has now been canceled.

This diplomatic crisis between the United States and France ranks as the worst in two decades. The Elysee ordered the withdrawal of its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, although they had already announced that they would return to their delegations. French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Joe Biden will meet at the end of October within the framework of the G-20 and a month later in Glasgow, Scotland, within the framework of COP26.

Was the return of the United States to the international arena really the return of the strategic ally that the countries of the international community were waiting for, or countries such as France, Germany and the European Union in general? Can the rift in relations between Paris and Washington be healed?

The controversy over the AUKUS alliance is the topic that we analyze in this edition of The Debate with the help of our guests:

– Jorge Heine, Professor of International Relations at Boston University and former Chilean Ambassador to the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

– Florent Sardo, international analyst, professor of economic and social sciences at Liceo Francés de Santiago, Chile.

– From the France 24 study, we are accompanied by Tatiana Gilves Rubio, President of the Latin American Association for Asian and African Studies (ALADAA) Colombia Branch and a university professor.