Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating recently expressed concerns regarding the AUKUS (Australia, UK, US) pact, stating that the agreement is undermining Australia’s sovereignty and making the country a legitimate target for China. In an interview with ABC, Keating emphasized his skepticism about the benefits of Australia being a part of this landmark security partnership, which was announced in 2021, focusing on helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
According to Keating, the pact is causing Australia to lose its strategic autonomy as it allows the US to “displace our military” and surround the country with military bases. By doing so, Canberra effectively relinquishes its ability to determine its foreign and defense policies independently. Former Prime Minister Keating went on to say that the government of Anthony Albanese is likely to turn Australia into the 51st state of the United States, emphasizing the diminishing sovereignty of the nation under this agreement.
Furthermore, Keating argued that the expanded military presence in Australia due to the AUKUS pact makes it a target for China’s aggression. He maintained that if there was no aggressive ally like the United States, there would be no one attacking Australia and that it is better off being left alone.
The former Prime Minister also critiqued the power struggle between the US and China over Taiwan, which he claimed is not a vital Australian interest. In his view, China has no strategic design on Australia while the US’s stance on Taiwan is comparable to China deciding that Tasmania needed help breaking away from Australia.
Keating’s remarks come after recent talks between Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong with their American counterparts in Washington regarding the AUKUS pact and a new agreement concerning the transfer of nuclear material to Canberra for its push to acquire domestically built atomic submarines from the 2030s.
China has warned that the AUKUS agreement raises nuclear proliferation risks, while Russia insists that there is no place in Asia-Pacific for closed military and political alliances.