The United States and Australia began high-level talks on Tuesday, August 6th, focusing on China’s “coercive behavior”, the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, and the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East.
According to Reuters, the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) were held on Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland, with senior defense and diplomatic officials from both countries in attendance.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, in a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, stated, “We have seen a significant increase in US military presence in Australia, with AUKUS being a part of it, but not the only part.”
Established in 2021, AUKUS aims to address common concerns arising from China’s escalating expansion. Under the AUKUS plan, Washington will sell three nuclear-powered submarines to Australia over the next decade, a plan supported by both US political parties.
Austin said, “Today, we are working together to address common security challenges, from China’s coercive behavior to Russia’s hybrid war in Ukraine, and the turmoil in the Middle East.”
“I know this year’s AUSMIN will bring results for both of our nations.”
The United States and China have disagreements on several issues, including US support for Taiwan and China’s military activities in the South China Sea. China claims control over most of the South China Sea, including the disputed Ren’ai Reef (Second Thomas Shoal). Ren’ai Reef is located within the exclusive economic zone of the United States’ ally, the Philippines, which also claims sovereignty over the area.
As Austin made the above remarks, a US military base in Iraq was hit by a rocket attack on Monday, injuring seven US soldiers. Additionally, senior members of extremist groups Hamas and Hezbollah were assassinated last week, leading to vows of retaliation by Iran and its allies, further escalating the situation in the Middle East.
US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy told ABC Television that Pacific island nations are also a priority in the talks. The US and Australia are competing with China for influence in the Pacific island nations.
She mentioned that the US and Australia are discussing “assisting Pacific islands in building critical infrastructure.”
Additionally, as part of cooperation on environmental and resource issues, Australia will invest 200 million Australian dollars (approximately 130.02 million US dollars) to upgrade its remote ground station facilities in the central desert to handle satellite data from NASA’s “Landsat Next”.
NASA’s “Landsat Next” is an Earth observation program that will provide early warnings for events like fires or melting ice. The program is set to launch in 2030.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the satellite data will also be used for Australia’s resource exploration objectives. Both countries are developing critical mineral supply chains.
The United States and its allies are seeking to reduce China’s dominance in the rare earth and critical mineral markets. From electric vehicles to defense technology, the use of rare earths and critical minerals is indispensable.