I can't bear to watch it in Australia anymore. This agreement | Alliance | Australia
On August 16th, the Hong Kong Asia Times website published an article titled "The Anglo American Alliance in Australia is increasingly under attack" by Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor at the Griffith Institute for Asian Studies in Australia. The article is compiled as follows:
The Australian Labour Party began holding this year's national conference on August 17th. There is generally skepticism within the Labour Party regarding the Anglo American alliance agreement. This suspicion transcends the differences between the various factions of the Labour Party.
Skeptics include opponents of nuclear weapons and energy, anti American lobbying groups, and those who do not trust the military industrial complex.
The current concern is that, at a time of severe instability and constant changes in the regional situation, Australia has voluntarily placed strategic policy flexibility behind alliance loyalty.
Some people also oppose the heartbreaking $368 billion security agreement bid.
However, if the agreement fails, it is more related to the United States than to the debate in Australia.
There are indications that US lawmakers are using the Anglo American alliance agreement as one of the means to pressure the Biden administration.
In January 2023, a bipartisan secret letter drafted by Democratic Chairman Jack Reed of the Senate Military Committee and Republican Senator James Inhoff warned that Virginia class submarines could not be sold to Australia without significant investment in US shipbuilding capabilities.
Considering that the next presidential election season is rapidly approaching, we must anticipate that the United States will continue to use national security issues for political purposes. Given that it is not yet clear who will become the next President of the United States, Australia's influence in the United States will struggle to overcome the future White House or Congress led "America First" agenda.
Secondly, people often forget that the Anglo American alliance is far from limited to nuclear powered submarines. The so-called "second pillar" of the Anglo American alliance is crucial for Australia's ability to leverage high-end key technology partnerships.
However, if Australia is to benefit from these technological advancements, it will have to overcome a series of obstacles primarily based on the United States.
A key sticking point is the United States' excessive sensitivity to information sharing issues. Even more troublesome is the US International Arms Trading Regulations and its foreign arms sales process.
Solving these problems is costly, requires sustained investment, and is susceptible to political changes in the United States.