Aukus pact up in the air but US to stay focused on China: analysts

The United States may be rethinking its Indo-Pacific strategy with its review of the Aukus security agreement, but its focus on countering China is unlikely to change, according to analysts.

The pact with Australia and the United Kingdom has been thrown into doubt with the Pentagon’s announcement this week that it is reviewing the US’ role in the Biden-era agreement to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.

Some observers suggested that this could be cause for celebration in Beijing, but others cautioned that the US was unlikely to back away from the agreement entirely, given its central role in Washington’s Indo-Pacific security strategy.

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that it would take another look at the pact to determine if it “aligned with the president’s ‘America first’ agenda”.

“This means ensuring the highest readiness of our service members, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defence and that the defence industrial base is meeting our needs,” it said.

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Zhao Minghao, deputy director at the Centre for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that while the administration of US President Donald Trump had not unveiled its Indo-Pacific strategy, the review might point to a “new approach” in preparation for potential conflict in the region.

South China Morning Post