Power play in China’s backyard
ON 15 September 2021 the United States and United Kingdom announced that under a new ‘security agreement’ they will help Australia build nuclear-powered submarines.
This agreement will make Australia only the seventh country in the world to join this select club of countries in the future. Presently, the US, UK, China, France, Russia and India are in this ‘club’.
This power-posturing on the international scene by the United States is not only a message to China in the context of the South China Sea scenario and the ongoing evident uneasiness between both these two countries regarding the origins and the scope of investigations about the Corona Virus, but also it is a signal by the United States to stand with Australia, whose relations with China have been somewhat unpleasant for a year and a half now.
In March 2020, when the Corona Virus, which had originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan a couple of months earlier, began to unleash unprecedented, incomprehensible and unimaginable havoc on the business, trade, industries, economic activity and nearly all forms of commerce on the entire planet, and Australia being no exception.
Thus Australia, being in the hemispheric proximity of China’s southern sea waters, and also a responsible international democracy and having significant trade and business links with Southeast Asia and China, in April 2020 wanted an independent international investigation regarding the origin of Corona Virus and how did it spread.
In these unprecedented times, China should not be underestimated for a second when it comes to its pride, independence, national honour and sovereignty.
From the time of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who was the architect of the industrial and commercial reforms in China in the 1980s till the present, China has become the second biggest economy in the world, surpassing Japan and Germany.
Such a phenomenal and lightening economic and industrial achievement complimenting it with maintaining highly modern and sophisticated armed forces is definitely the product of a miraculous determination and solid focus.
In the year 2019, the total Australian exports to China were worth 102,996 million US Dollars. China’s displeasure towards Australia’s demand in April 2020 led it to putting tariffs or in some cases outright banning some Australian products.
Australian coal, wine, barley, beef and cotton exports to China suffered. This was an enormous setback for the Australian economy. Australia also came under diplomatic pressure, and thus moved to utilize its connections at the global level.
This alliance between the US, UK and Australia known as AUKUS is spearheaded by the United States. This is its concept.
For some time now, the United States has been observing China’s colossal economic, financial, commercial and industrial growth. But credit goes to the Chinese workforce, businesses and entrepreneurs that have shown exceptional hard work, continued improvisation and sharp business skills.
Here one must also recognize the business, trade and investment-friendly policies of the Chinese government over the last three decades.
These policies boosted the confidence and morale of businesses, private companies and foreign investors, enabling them to carry on their commercial activities in a secure business environment.
AUKUS has sent shock waves across the world. In 2016, Australia signed a deal allowing France to build 12 conventional submarines.
This deal was worth 37 billion US Dollars. After AUKUS, Australia announced it was not going ahead with the deal.
France is absolutely furious and understandably so. France recalled its Ambassadors from the United States and Australia. Since the end of the World War-II in 1945, France has adopted an independent foreign policy.
And it takes great pride in its relations and actions around the world which have given priority to the French interests. France has never forgotten its defeat at the hands of Germany in the Second World War.
France remained under German occupation from 1940 to 1944. After the Second World War, France did join NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) but withdrew from it in 1966.
The core thinking behind that move was to maintain absolute focus and attention towards French sovereignty and independence.
In 2009, France returned to NATO but has continued to maintain foreign policy and international relations on its terms.
France’s relations with the United States and Australia will normalize with the passage of time, but a new arms-race will begin, including inside Southeast Asia.
Other regions in the world will follow this trend, a testimony of the extraordinary times the world is going through.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
