Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense, Richard Marles, pushed back on Friday (August 9) against criticism that Australia’s plan to procure nuclear-powered submarines would be subject to the directives of the United States, among others.
Earlier this week, the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia updated the “AUKUS” (Australia-UK-US trilateral security partnership) agreement, allowing Australia to formally receive nuclear reactors, materials, and equipment while meeting the “highest” non-proliferation standards.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Friday, Marles stated that the updated agreement had been signed, with details outlined in a letter sent by U.S. President Biden to Congress. The letter indicated that the original agreement allowed for “the exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information” during negotiations among the countries.
Australia, along with the United States and the United Kingdom, announced the AUKUS agreement in 2021 as part of their joint efforts to counter China’s aggressive behaviors. Former Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the plan for bringing “outstanding defense capabilities” to Australia and establishing its own industrial base.
Marles emphasized that the update is a “treaty-level agreement,” providing a legal basis for these plans. However, the agreement faced strong opposition from former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating. Keating, in an interview with ABC, described AUKUS as American “military control over Australia,” potentially turning Australia into “the 51st state of the United States.” He criticized the increasing U.S. military presence in Australia and warned about the loss of strategic autonomy.
Keating repeatedly emphasized that Taiwan is “Chinese real estate,” arguing against Australia providing any military support on the Taiwan issue. In response to Keating’s criticism, Marles stated that Keating’s comments on the AUKUS plan were “not a fair characterization.” He emphasized the importance of contributing to regional security and argued that this was the best way to ensure Australia’s own safety.
Marles also dismissed claims that the agreement would result in nuclear waste being brought into Australia. “There will be no nuclear waste entering Australia from the United States or the UK,” he said, noting that Australia would handle its own nuclear waste as announced in March last year.
According to the “first pillar” of the AUKUS agreement, Australia plans to purchase at least three Virginia-class submarines from the United States in the 2030s and build its own submarines using British and American technology. Canberra has also set a goal to have eight nuclear-powered submarines by the 2050s.