Australia and the United Kingdom have signed a defence and security agreement that deepens their ties in the face of China’s growing power in the region.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and his British counterpart Grant Shapps signed an agreement that formalises consultation on security issues and makes it easier for their militaries to operate in each other’s countries, including cooperation on maritime security and exercises.
Australia also pledged to join a coalition led by the UK and Latvia to help Ukraine develop its drone capability.
Thursday’s agreement builds on Australia’s ‘AUKUS’ partnership with the US and UK.
In an interview with the Financial Times (FT), Shapps said security in the region was ‘very important’ to the UK. Praising Australia’s support in the Red Sea and Ukraine, Shapps said the two countries would increase cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
“There is a much more assertive, epoch-making China, particularly in this region, but also for the world. So it is doubly important that we are clear that we want to live in a peaceful world. A peaceful world and world order, which includes things like freedom of navigation and playing by the rules, is worth preserving,” he said.
“As the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we need to modernise our key partnerships. The agreements we have reached today will secure that outcome for the future,” the Australian Marles said in response to the British minister, who pointed out that in many ways the UK sees the war in Europe, the Middle East, Red Sea issues and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific as “one big part of the same geopolitical tension”.
The new security agreement was signed the day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Canberra and called for closer ties with Australia after five years of geopolitical tensions.
Shapps visited Canberra with Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and both will travel to South Australia on Friday to visit shipyards near Adelaide where the country plans to build nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS agreement with the US and UK.
