Aukus alliance

Opinion | For China, the end of Pax Americana under Trump will be a gift

18 Nov 2024 - 7:46AMvideocam

Trump’s return sparks fears over Aukus submarine deal and Indo-Pacific stability

15 Nov 2024 - 1:07PM

New Zealand

Will New Zealand’s alliance with Aukus shift under Trump’s second term?

Analysts believe Wellington will adopt a “wait and see” approach, potentially shifting towards a hedging strategy if Trump abandons the region.

15 Nov 2024 - 1:12PMvideocam

Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event on November 6, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: TNS

US presidential election 2024

Opinion | Trump will ask Asia-Pacific what it can offer. Leaders must think hard

From support for the US military industrial complex to countering China, leaders must start deciding their trade-offs, bottom lines and no-go areas.

11 Nov 2024 - 7:08AMvideocam

Aukus, Quad allies could face pressure on China from next Trump administration

Experts say the former president is likely to retain existing arrangements when he returns to the White House but may be more demanding.

10 Nov 2024 - 10:00PMvideocam

Australia ‘confident’ Trump won’t torpedo Aukus submarine deal

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the pact had bipartisan support and that both countries were eager to see a ‘stable’ Asia-Pacific region.

7 Nov 2024 - 9:27AMvideocam

Supporters of Donald Trump celebrate as Fox News declares him the next president of the US during an election night event in Florida on November 6. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Exiting the world stage, Joe Biden leaves a mixed legacy on US-China affairs

Efforts at rebuilding global alliances have proved more successful than establishing an ‘end goal’ in Washington’s China strategy.

2 Nov 2024 - 8:01AMvideocam

Wary of China, US ranks Japan ‘first’ among Aukus partners: envoy

‘Very close’ talks under way as Washington seeks Tokyo’s cyber-related and other technological support amid deeper Indo-Pacific engagement.

19 Oct 2024 - 6:59AMvideocam

US to ease restrictions on space-related exports to allies

The new rules could benefit companies like SpaceX and defence contractors with space units like Lockheed Martin, L3Harris and Boeing.

18 Oct 2024 - 5:43AMvideocam

SpaceX’s Starship lifts off during its fifth flight test in Boca Chica, Texas, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Australia to spend up to US$245.8 billion by 2055 on Aukus shipyard

It will make an initial investment of A$127 million (US$85 million) over three years to upgrade facilities at the Henderson shipyard.

16 Oct 2024 - 4:46PMvideocam

(From left) Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Aukus defence ministerial meeting in London. Photo: AFP

Asean

Opinion | Asean neutrality remains key to regional peace amid US-China rivalry

As next Asean chair Malaysia shows, an open door to all, even with intensifying great power competition, is vital to stability and development.

11 Oct 2024 - 5:59AMvideocam

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue

Perth re-emerging as critical hub in deterring conflict in Indo-Pacific

By 2027, US and British nuclear submarines operating out of HMAS Stirling will make Perth a key player in Indo-Pacific defence strategies.

30 Sep 2024 - 11:53AMvideocam

Defence

Opinion | What Australia’s quest for nuclear-powered submarines tells us

The Aukus deal underlines the enduring appeal of submarines to a modern military, amid advances in warfare technologies, but acquiring one isn’t that easy.

28 Sep 2024 - 5:31AMvideocam

A Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the type Australia is set to acquire from the early 2030s. Photo: US Navy

Opinion | Why the Quad is here to stay, whether China likes it or not

While Beijing initially dismissed the notion of the Quad, it now sees the grouping as a formidable force to reckon with in the coming years.

26 Sep 2024 - 6:54AMvideocam

China quickly outpacing US in preparing for next war, Congress hears

Pentagon’s red tape and its slowness to embrace new technologies leave allies like Britain, Australia, Japan and South Korea in the lurch.

19 Sep 2024 - 6:18AM

US presidential election 2024

Aukus risks being just ‘a label’ if it fails to curb China’s ‘adventurism’

The bloc could soon show results in areas such as autonomous underwater vehicles and quantum computing-based defence, analysts say.

17 Sep 2024 - 8:00AMvideocam

Foreign policy takes a back seat in unconventional US presidential race

Whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins, US tariffs and export restrictions targeting China will almost certainly increase, say analysts.

20 Sep 2024 - 5:49AMvideocam

Vice-president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a presidential debate with Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on September 10. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Canada

Canada in talks about joining expanded Aukus: ‘very optimistic’

Canada wants to join a second pillar of Aukus that will collaborate on new military technologies, including AI and quantum computing.

13 Sep 2024 - 9:16PM

Israel-Gaza war

Opinion | Why the US’ Gaza hypocrisy casts a shadow on Aukus

The claim that Aukus is about safeguarding international law in the Indo-Pacific sounds hypocritical, after the US-enabled carnage in Gaza.

7 Sep 2024 - 7:43AMvideocam

Japan

Why Japan’s potential bid for Australian warship project is ‘heavily political’

Experts suggest Japan’s bid for the warship project could serve as a stepping stone towards joining the Aukus defence pact.

4 Sep 2024 - 1:54PM

A Japanese Mogami-class guided-missile frigate. Tokyo aims to build a variant the warship in collaboration with Canberra. Photo: Handout

China-New Zealand relations

New Zealand spy report calls China ‘a complex intelligence concern’

The country’s intelligence services highlighted a ‘small number of illiberal foreign states’ that engage in foreign interference against New Zealand.

3 Sep 2024 - 3:40PM

Chinese national flags are seen in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo: AFP

Opinion | Aukus is a setback for Australia’s hard-fought independence

Years after Curtin stood up to Churchill and Keating rejected the “US deputy” label, Australia seems to have lost its backbone.

22 Aug 2024 - 6:53AM

Australia, Britain, US drop defence trade barriers to propel Aukus

The move is seen as a significant step for Australia to acquire US nuclear-powered attack submarines and jointly develop a new class of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine over the next two decades.

15 Aug 2024 - 9:35PMvideocam

Indonesia

Australia, Indonesia inch towards upgrade in security ties with new deal

Upgraded agreement is unlikely to evolve into a ‘joint warfighting experience’ given Indonesia’s non-aligned foreign policy, analysts say.

15 Aug 2024 - 5:00PMvideocam

‘Blow to sovereignty’: Australia blasted for Aukus deal over nuclear waste fears

A part of the deal involves a transfer of nuclear material to Australia, which has sparked anger among some politicians and green activists.

12 Aug 2024 - 5:08PMvideocam

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, British Ambassador to the USA Karen Pierce and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell sign the Aukus agreement for cooperation related to naval nuclear propulsion in Washington DC, on August 5. Photo: Australia’s government

China’s ‘coercive behaviour’ scrutinised at US-Australia talks

‘Shared security challenges’ tackled by two allies as ministerial consultations feature each country’s top defence and diplomatic officials.

7 Aug 2024 - 11:50PMvideocam