UK foreign and defense ministers hosted their Australian counterparts on Feb. 2. Security in the Indo-Pacific region was high on their meeting agenda.
Amid China’s military buildup, the UK and Australia are working together to counter Beijing’s aggression. The two countries pledge to further ties with the United States.
At Portsmouth’s iconic Spinnaker Tower, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace voiced concerns about a more unstable global order in the coming decade. He stressed cooperation between both countries, particularly through AUKUS, a strategic defense pact between the United States, Australia, and Britain. The deal promises nuclear-powered submarines for Australia. It also demonstrates the three allies’ joint stance against China, considering Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan.
Responding to the trilateral agreement, China scoffed at what it called the three nations’ “Cold War” mentality.