{"id":340,"date":"2024-11-08T18:49:23","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T18:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/?p=340"},"modified":"2024-11-08T18:49:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T18:49:23","slug":"aukus-faces-little-threat-from-trump-aussie-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/?p=340","title":{"rendered":"AUKUS faces little threat from Trump, Aussie officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"

By \u00a0\u00a0Colin Clark<\/strong><\/p>\n

CANBERRA \u2014 Senior Australian officials declared their relations with the United States sound in the wake of the victory of president-elect Donald Trump, dismissing concerns that\u00a0the tripartite enterprise of AUKUS\u00a0would be harmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAUKUS is in the strategic benefit and interest of Australia, the United States and the UK. That\u2019s the fundamental point here,\u201d Defense Minister Richard Marles told a small group of reporters at the Submarine Institute of Australia conference two days before the election. \u201cAnd that will continue to be the case at the end of this week as it is at the beginning. And we\u2019re really clear, in all the engagement we\u2019ve had in the United States, that whoever wins the United States election this week understands that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marles pointed to the bipartisan support for AUKUS demonstrated by Congress. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not a guess. We\u2019ve got a voting record. When you look at the way in which Democrats, Republicans \u2014 Trump Republicans \u2014 voted in the Congress at the end of last year in support of AUKUS, it was across the political spectrum,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we do have a sense of confidence that, going forward, this is a program that will be supported in the United States, as it will in the UK, as it will here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese\u00a0called Trump<\/a>\u00a0to offer his congratulations. \u201cWe talked about the importance of the Alliance, and the strength of the Australia-US relationship in security, AUKUS, trade and investment,\u201d he said in a tweet. \u201cI look forward to working together in the interests of both our countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly,\u00a0Foreign Minister Penny Wong extended the traditional congratulations to Trump on his election and said Canberra expects to work \u201cvery closely\u201d with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

The morning after the election,\u00a0she said<\/a>, \u201cI think that this is an alliance that is bigger than any individual, that is bigger than any past comments, that is about the big issues that we face as a nation, as a region and as a globe. I have confidence that just as different [US] administrations and different Australian Governments have worked together, we will work very closely with the Trump Administration to deliver on things that are very important to Australia, including the AUKUS pact.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Green Party here called again for Australia to exit AUKUS, a move Wong dismissed with prejudice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the Greens continue to demonstrate their irresponsibility over and over again, but I would say this to Australians. First, remember what AUKUS is about, assuring the peace. It\u2019s about deterrence to assure the peace in a contested region,\u201d she said, in a veiled reference to China\u2019s actions in the east and South China seas. \u201cSecondly, the capability we gain under the submarines to be delivered under AUKUS is a sovereign capability. And the alliance matters to Australia\u2019s interests. We are confident of our ability to continue to navigate these times, and I don\u2019t think that the Greens\u2019 approach is a responsible one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Climate Change And Trump<\/h2>\n

While AUKUS may be secure, there is likely to be a divide between the Albanese and Trump governments on another major issue with both economic and national security concerns: climate change.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0strategically important Pacific Islands\u00a0are at risk of, in some cases, total destruction as a result of climate change, meaning it is an existential issue for those governments. The American president-elect has pledged to pull out again from the Paris Agreement, the key international climate agreement. Much of the Australian public and its leaders take the issue of climate change seriously, domestically and in terms of foreign policy and national security, so how Australia copes with Trump\u2019s overall stance on climate change has become a hot topic this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Trump has campaigned on change. We shouldn\u2019t be surprised if there\u2019s change,\u201d Wong told reporters today, according to a government transcript. \u201cOne of the areas we know from the previous Trump Administration, as they did withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Australia didn\u2019t, because we don\u2019t believe it\u2019s\u00a0 in our national interest. You said, what is the point? Apart from the imperative of climate change, there is the imperative of the economic transition. We are going to have to be able to prosper in a world where many and much of the global economy is moving to net zero.\u201d<\/p>\n

While she didn\u2019t mention the Pacific Islands, they will be watching.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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