Australia, the US and Britain unveiled the multi-decade AUKUS project on Monday, and Australia has absolutely no commitment to support the US in any military conflict over Taiwan in return for a deal to acquire US nuclear-powered attack submarines. Canberra is going to buy the US Navy-class military submarines, with Britain and Australia eventually producing and operating a new submarine class, SSN-AUKUS.
Australia's center-left Labor government says that the A $368 billion US $246 billion deal is necessary because of China's military buildup in the region, which it has labelled as the largest since World War II.
Asked whether Australia had given the US any commitment to help during a conflict over Taiwan in return for access to the submarines, Marles told ABC television: Of course not, and nor was one sought. He said that there was absolutely no quid pro quo obligation on Australia from the deal.
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the option of force to take the island back. President Joe Biden said that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.
Under the AUKUS deal, which Asian allies welcomed but Beijing has called nuclear proliferation, the US will sell Australia three submarines built by General Dynamics in the early 2030s with an option for Australia to buy two more.