James Morrow: AUKUS should create new worries for China

The alliance began with a Joe Biden gaffe but no matter, because perhaps the best part of the AUKUS deal is it shows Beijing that the US is still prepared to stand behind us, writes James Morrow.

Not even Joe Biden forgetting the name of “that fellow Down Under” could mar the importance of what has just played out over the last twelve hours.

Australia, which has been increasingly concerned about its inability to defend itself in the face of rising threats (read: China) and saddled with an expensive and lousy submarine deal signed years ago mostly for the purposes of saving the South Australian seat, is going to acquire nuclear powered, even if not nuclear armed, subs.

It’s a huge statement of support for the already strong alliance between the US, UK, and Australia: the US has only shared its nuclear propulsion technology, once before, all the way back in 1958, and that was with the British.

And here’s Joe Biden forgetting Scott Morrison’s name while announcing the historic AUUKUS agreement … pic.twitter.com/Zrrlf3BevN

— James Morrow (@pwafork) September 15, 2021

The timing couldn’t be better for Australia or the Morrison government, coming on the anniversary of the ANZUS treaty.

For Mr Morrison, the announcement is a circuit breaker that for once takes Covid off the front pages and leaves questions about Christian Porter’s legal fees to be worried over by hardcore political tragics.

(Amusingly, as if to prove the point made by the ABC’s Leigh Sales and others about Twitter this week, several users of the platform got into high dudgeon Wednesday night, speculating that the deal being announced was really just a scheme to get Porter out of the headlines. Perhaps they thought Joe Biden’s American version of being a liberal was the same as Scott Morrison’s.)

US President Joe Biden watches as Morrison speaks virtually on national security in East Room of the White House. Picture: Brendan Smialowski

The deal also comes, critically, at a time when Australians are increasingly nervous about their place in the world – and understanding of the fact that the greatest threat to their security is the Chinese Communist Party.

According to Lowy Institute polling, 63 per cent of Australians view China as more security threat than economic partner, up from 12 per cent just three years ago. In the same time frame, the number of Australians viewing China as primarily an economic partner has fallen from 82 to just 34 per cent.

While the PM was at pains to say this did not mean Australia would be starting a civilian nuclear industry – begging the question, Why not? – it also sets up a challenge for Labor to get behind this brutally important alliance.

And it will create new worries for Beijing – perhaps the best part of this of all – as it shows Beijing that despite the recent debacle in Afghanistan, the US is still very much prepared to stand behind its friends.