Latest news with #USDefence
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Trump's America leaves Southeast Asia in a spin – with China waiting in the wings
Five months into Donald Trump 's presidency, Southeast Asia finds itself adrift. The foundations of its relationship with the US have been shaken by punitive tariffs and a sudden withdrawal of aid that hurt some of the region's most vulnerable – even as Washington maintains its military presence with an eye fixed squarely on China. Advertisement This volatility has deepened a sense of American 'unreliability' across Southeast Asia, according to experts who spoke to This Week in Asia. Yet a complete rupture between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United States remains unlikely. With China looming large across the horizon, Washington's security commitments are expected to endure and continue shaping the region's diplomatic calculus. At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out Washington's Indo-Pacific strategic vision, citing Beijing's relentless military drills around Taiwan and escalating naval confrontations in the South China Sea 'There's no reason to sugar-coat it,' Hegseth said. 'The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent.' US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31. Photo: Reuters Hegseth called on US allies and partners to share more of the defence burden, stressing that such cooperation would enable Washington to allocate more resources to the Indo-Pacific, describing it as 'our priority theatre'.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Foreign Minister defends military spending amid ‘imminent' China threat
Australia's chief diplomat has defended Labor's hesitancy to join allies in ramping up defence spending, saying the Albanese government 'will fund what is required' despite warnings of an 'imminent' threat from China. The Trump administration earlier this month called on Australia to hike the military budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP, after years of flatlining near 2 per cent. Anthony Albanese and his ministers have pushed back, insisting Australia was pulling its weight on defence and that spending was a matter for Canberra, not Washington. But many of Australia's closest allies have committed to spending more on defence amid conflicts on multiple continents and an increasingly inward-looking US, making the Albanese government somewhat of an outlier. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday the Prime Minister's position was 'very clear'. 'We assess capability requirements and we make sure that they are funded appropriately,' Senator Wong told the ABC. She was pressed on why the Albanese government took a different view to the likes of the UK, Germany and France, all of which have committed to spending at least 3 per cent of GDP on defence. 'Because we will fund what is required,' Senator Wong said, repeating that the Australian Defence Force would be funded 'by assessing capability and ensuring that we provide for the capability that is required'. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth raised Australia's defence budget with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue. Mr Hegseth used his speech at the security conference to warn that China could invade the democratically self-governing island of Taiwan as early as 2027. Such a move would deal a major blow to global supply of semiconductors – crucial components in modern tech – and massively disrupt vital trade routes. 'Let me be clear, any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world,' Mr Hegseth said. 'There's no reason to sugar-coat it. The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent. 'We hope not but certainly could be.' In her Sunday comments, Senator Wong reiterated Australia's bipartisan 'support (for) the status quo' on Taiwan. 'We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo and we urge these matters to be dealt with peacefully,' she said. 'China … has been exerting its influence, exerting its power in order to progress its interests in our region. That is very clear. 'I have spoken about that for many years. At times those interests will be different to Australia's. We understand that, which is why we do many things. 'We engage bilaterally, but we also engage with partners including the United States because what Australia wants is a region where no country dominates and no country is dominated. 'That requires strategic balance, it requires engagement of the US, and it requires all countries of the region to play their part.'
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Can the Squad revitalise Asia-Pacific security amid China's rise, Trump's erratic stance?
The spotlight is back on the so-called Squad minilateral grouping of nations aimed at countering China 's influence in the Asia-Pacific, after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the bloc as the most 'strategically positioned to manifest deterrence'. Observers, however, are mixed on such a stance, pointing to Washington's transactional approach and seemingly erratic policy shifts under President Donald Trump , warning there may be 'little appetite' in focusing on the group. In his summit opening remarks, Hegseth underscored the Squad's potential to 'bring about peace' amid 'an unprecedented military build-up by China.' In a joint statement following the forum, the defence chiefs expressed concerns about Beijing's actions in the East and South China Seas Before forming last year, security chiefs from the future Squad members met for the first time in June 2023 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue , amid ongoing naval skirmishes between China and the Philippines. Their defence forces have also conducted joint maritime activities in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Saudi Gazette
12-06-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
US reviewing Aukus submarine pact as part of 'America First' agenda
WASHINGTON — The US has launched a review of its multi-billion dollar submarine deal with the UK and Australia, saying the security pact must fit its "America First" agenda. Under the trilateral pact, believed to be aimed at countering China, Australia is to get its first nuclear-powered subs from the US, before the allies create a new fleet by sharing cutting-edge tech. Both Australia and the UK - which did its own review last year - have played down news of the US probe, saying it is natural for a new administration to reassess. The move comes as both Australia and the UK face pressure from the White House to lift military spending, demands heeded by Downing Street but largely resisted by Canberra. The Aukus agreement - worth £176bn ($239bn; A$368bn) - was signed in 2021, when all three countries involved had different leaders. A US defense official told the BBC the pact was being reviewed "as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda". "As [US Defence] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth has made clear, this means ensuring the highest readiness of our servicemembers [and] that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defense," the defense official said. The US has been pushing allies to start spending at least 3% of GDP on defense as soon as possible. The UK has agreed to spend 2.5% of GDP on its defense by 2028, and 3% by the next parliament, while Australia has also said it will lift funding, but not to the 3.5% that the US wants. The review will be headed up by Elbridge Colby, who has previously been critical of Aukus, in a speech last year questioning why the US would give away "this crown jewel asset when we most need it". Defense Minister Richard Marles, speaking to local Australian media on Thursday morning local time, said he was optimistic the deal would continue. "I'm very confident this is going to happen," he told ABC Radio Melbourne. "You just need to look at the map to understand that Australia absolutely needs to have a long-range submarine capability." Some in Australia have been lobbying for the country to develop a more self-reliant defense strategy, but Marles said it was important to "stick to a plan" - a reference to the previous government's controversial cancellation of a submarine deal with France in favor of Aukus. An Australian government spokesperson told the BBC it was "natural" that the new administration would "examine" the agreement, adding the UK had also recently finished a review of the security pact between the long-standing allies. There is "clear and consistent" support for the deal across the "full political spectrum" in the US, they said, adding Australia looked forward to "continuing our close cooperation with the Trump Administration on this historic project". A UK defense spokesperson told the BBC it was "understandable" for a new administration to look at the deal, "just as the UK did last year". Aukus is a "landmark security and defense partnership with two of our closest allies", the spokesperson said, and "one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades, supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic". Jennifer Kavanagh, from American thinktank Defense Priorities, told the BBC that the US was "absolutely right to take another look at this deal" as its submarine capacities were already stretched. "The US cannot meet its own demand for these nuclear-powered submarines," she said. The other concern the US might have is whether Australia would use the submarines they buy in the way the US wants them to, she said, particularly if conflict erupts over Taiwan. Dr Kavanagh said the review might see the security pact shift its focus away from providing submarines to sharing other long-range weapons technology. However, if the US were to pull out of the deal, China would "celebrate" as they have long criticized the deal, Dr Kavanagh added. For Australia, the deal represents a major upgrade to its military capabilities. The country becomes just the second after the UK to receive Washington's elite nuclear propulsion technology. Such submarines will be able to operate further and faster than the country's existing diesel-engine fleet and Australia would also be able to carry out long-range strikes against enemies for the first time. It is a big deal for the US to share what is often called the "crown jewels" of its defence technology. But arming Australia has historically been viewed by Washington and Downing Street as essential to preserving peace in a region they themselves aren't a part of. From 2027, the pact will allow both the US and UK to base a small number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western Australia. Canberra will also buy three second-hand Virginia-class submarines from the US at a yet-to-be-determined date in the early 2030s - with options to purchase two more. After that, the plan is to design and build an entirely new nuclear-powered submarine model for the UK and Australian navies. This attack craft will be built in Britain and Australia to a British design, but use technology from all three countries. The security alliance has repeatedly drawn criticism from China, with the foreign ministry in Beijing saying it risked creating an arms race. — BBC
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
US to partially evacuate embassy in Iraq as Iran tensions rise
On Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board of governors began a meeting in Vienna to discuss Iran's nuclear programme and other issues. It comes after the IAEA released a report criticising the "less than satisfactory" co-operation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites. Iran described the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying that it relied on "forged documents" provided by Israel. With the nuclear talks at a critical moment, it is not yet clear how much the US announcement is about signalling as opposed to genuine concern. But Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said his country would retaliate against US bases in the region if talks failed and Trump ordered military strikes against the Islamic Republic. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also approved the voluntary departure of families of American military personnel from countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Bahrain, Reuters news agency reported. Testifying in front of a congressional panel on Wednesday, the Pentagon said he believed there were "plenty of indications" that Iran was "moving their way towards something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon". Iran says its uranium enrichment programme was for civilian energy generation and that it was not trying to build an atomic bomb. The UK's Maritime Trade Operations organisation - part of the Royal Navy - warned on Wednesday that increased military tensions in the Middle East could affect shipping. The price of oil initially increased more than 4% when news of the US evacuation broke, in anticipation of regional insecurity potentially leading to supply problems. Around 2,500 US troops are based in Iraq, according to the defence department. In January 2020, Iran fired missiles at air bases housing US forces in Iraq in retaliation for the US strike that killed top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. No US military personnel stationed at the base were killed, but dozens were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
