Chairman Michael McCaul of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said that the trilateral partnership between the U.S., UK, and Australia is crucial for countering threats posed by China. McCaul shared his statement during a Sept. 18 hearing.
"In Australia, [AUKUS] a 20-[to]-50-year commitment, and [the CCP sees] that," said Michael Mccaul. "That's a strong commitment to Australia and to the UK in a common defense against China…AUKUS [is] probably one of those issues that Chairman Xi is most concerned about, and probably is the one that keeps him up at night."
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, AUKUS is a "trilateral security partnership" between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. that was launched in September 2021. The goal of this trilateral partnership is to "strengthen the ability of each government to support security and defense interests" and to promote "deeper information sharing and technology sharing; and foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains."
After AUKUS’ initial announcement, the Department of Defense initiated an 18-month consultation period with two initiatives. The first initiative is "a commitment to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy," while the second initiative "intends to enhance joint capabilities and interoperability, focusing on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities." In March 2023, AUKUS announced an "optimal pathway to produce a nuclear-powered submarine" in Australia while maintaining nonproliferation standards.
The Department of Defense further noted that AUKUS partners have "furthered their undersea warfare capabilities by beginning to scale up the ability and launch and recover uncrewed underwater systems…" This effort aims to "increase the range and capability of our undersea forces."
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Australia is growing in its "defense and security role in the Indo-Pacific," as Chinese ambitions increase around Taiwan and the South China Sea. The Australian Department of Defense has indicated plans for a significant increase in defense spending.
McCaul is serving his 10th term representing Texas’ 10th Congressional District. Before joining Congress, he served as Chief of Counter Terrorism and National Security in the U.S. Attorney’s office and led a joint Terrorism Task Force charged with "detecting, deterring, and preventing terrorist activity." He also served as Texas Deputy Attorney General and worked as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section in Washington DC.
