Australia’s AUKUS submarines could be used against China in war over Taiwan, says US diplomat

ANKARA

A senior US diplomat has suggested that Australian nuclear-powered submarines acquired under the AUKUS deal could eventually be positioned against China in any military conflict over Taiwan.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell made the comments while addressing the Centre for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Thursday.

It came the same day he spoke to senior Australian and New Zealand officials over the telephone to discuss "ongoing cooperation to support a secure, prosperous, free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

Australia will pay UK defense firms around $3 billion for design work on nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact, a move sharply criticized by China.

It was in 2021 that the US, UK, and Australia announced the AUKUS trilateral defense deal under which Canberra will get Virginia-class and SSN nuclear-powered submarines through the 2030s and 2040s from the US and Britain.

Campbell also contended that the trilateral AUKUS partnership between Australia, the UK, and US enjoys strong support in Washington and would not be affected by a change of president in the upcoming US presidential election.

During his hour-long appearance, Washington’s second-most powerful diplomat argued joint efforts such as the AUKUS partnership were increasingly important for security in the Indo-Pacific, and nuclear submarines would provide a powerful deterrent in the Taiwan Strait.

"I think those practical circumstances in which AUKUS has the potential to have submarines from a number of countries operating in close coordination that could deliver conventional ordinance from long distances – those have enormous implications in a variety of scenarios, including in cross-strait circumstances,” Campbell was quoted as saying.

Until now, Washington, Canberra and London have been reluctant to publicly tie AUKUS to escalating military tensions over Taiwan, with Australia repeatedly stating it has not promised to support the US if China invades Taiwan.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has also confirmed that earlier today Campbell discussed mounting strategic concerns in the Indo-Pacific during calls with senior officials from Australia and New Zealand.

"The parties also discussed how we can increase our coordination and cooperation to support Pacific Islands development aspirations as outlined in the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent," Miller said.