The AUKUS Partnership and Its Role in the Balance of Power between the United States and China after 2021

Abstract

When examining the topic of the AUKUS partnership and its role in the balance of power between the United States and China after 2021, it can be considered one of the tools created by its founding countries to enhance the balance of power with China. This partnership was formed in 2021 by three countries: the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The agreement included providing Australia with a number of nuclear submarines, cooperation, coordination, and the exchange of expertise in defense, security, and technological cooperation. This cooperation encompasses cybersecurity, navigation and positioning technology, artificial intelligence, hypersonic capabilities, and the integration of commercial technologies for use in any potential conflict through technological innovation and information sharing. AUKUS has played a significant role in strengthening the strategic frameworks supported by the United States to defend its interests in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with the support of Australia and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, it has contributed to the development of American power, particularly in the technological, cyber, and artificial intelligence fields, to ensure superiority in these areas. China responded to this American approach with increased international and domestic dynamism, consolidating its strategic arrangements and modernizing its military and security capabilities by equipping them with advanced technology. Therefore, AUKUS has performed an important function in the balance of power between the United States and China. This can be explored through the strategies of each power (i.e., every move is met with a reaction or counter-response from the other), whether in terms of internal capabilities or external partnerships. The future of this power balance appears to hold many possibilities, none of which can be definitively predicted. Each possibility is supported by significant factors: the two countries may strive to maintain the current balance of power, the regional order in the Indo-Pacific region may be reshaped, or the conflict may escalate due to the race to acquire technological capabilities.