Why is Southeast Asia so concerned about Aukus and Australia’s plans for nuclear submarines?


Source: scmp.com scmp.com

Key Topics in this News Article:

News Snapshot:

The announcement of a new strategic alliance between Australia , the United States and Britain (Aukus) has caught many by surprise. Besides France, which reacted with fury over Australia’s scrapping of a major submarine deal with a French company, few countries were as surprised as Australia’s neighbours to the north, the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean ). In particular, Indonesia and Malaysia have come out strongly against Australia’s plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines with the help of the US and Britain. Even Singapore, Australia’s most reliable ally in the region, has expressed...