AUKUS -INTENSIFYING US-CHINA STRATEGIC RIVALRY AND ITS IMPACT ON SOUTH CHINA SEA

Abstract

On September 15, 2021, a historical safety agreement was revealed. The setup of a joint venture between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia was devised to exchange sophisticated military understanding as well as provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australian troops. The eventual aim of the cooperation, as well as its consequences for other countries, are becoming increasingly prominent. France was enraged that the accord had been cancelled, leading to the destruction of a valuable submarine sale. China views itself to be the emerging grouping's primary goal. Despite varied sentiments, the ASEAN community usually sees the announcement of AUKUS as worsening the country's geographic position. Why did the three-member governments decide to form a trilateral defence pact? Such bold recruitment, according to this report, represents a pivot in US strategic vision, dispersing troops by enabling partners to develop conventional forces throughout the Indo-Pacific. It represents an eagerness on the part of Australians to exert force to better shape the peace and stability in their favour, improve their power and status within the American allied powers, and strengthen their English identities. The emergence of a new inner Commonwealth core, according to this article, has disrupted the balance of power by possibly accelerating hostilities, heightening geopolitical instability, and compromising essential atomic agencies.

Research question:

Multiple questions arise when it comes to the AUKUS pact, the strategies of superpowers, and their plans about this pact and how far they will go in this war of fire. What will be the consequences after implementing such ideas and plans in underdeveloped countries? What is the viewpoint of the European countries about this alliance? Sino-American rivalry and AUKUS’s intensifying impact worldwide. Also, these questions come into the queue when we talk about reality. How is the strategic rivalry between the US and China being affected by AUKUS?  How is AUKUS intensifying the South China Sea dispute?

Theoretical framework:

Balancing represents the most fundamental concept in global affairs, especially for realists. To live in an anarchic environment, governments build security coalitions against the most successful nations, according to the balance of power theory. The theory posits that states balance against those that represent the greatest threat via increasing advancements. As a result, geographic vicinity, combat power, suspected intentions, and comparable power capabilities are regarded as key considerations in establishing the degree of danger. The study revealed that governments usually follow two kinds of tactics when it comes to balancing action: internally and externally balancing. Internal balancing refers to state operations aiming at increasing power by boosting financial outlook and military might to become self-sufficient in the face of growing challenges. It can still be accomplished by armed services modernization, domestic defence sector investment, and increased economic growth. External balancing entails states joining alliances to strengthen their power capabilities in the face of a prevalent danger. In international relations, the posture and legislation of a person or country protect itself from that other foreign entity to balance its authority against either edge.

Methodology:

This paper is based on qualitative research that has been collected from multiple resources, including articles, journals, and web pages. This will tell you about the trilateral pact and its significance from different countries’ perspectives. After collecting numerous key points about how superpower rivalries affect international relations. European countries and their points of risk, their concerns about this pact, are also included in this paper. AUKUS drew few specific references to China's Pacific antagonism. This defence pact, on the other hand, is just a clear sign of the West's concerns regarding China as an opponent. The hostility that exists in Washington against Beijing has so far not arisen out of anywhere not arisen out of nowhere, where and since two countries' relations have degraded. From a theoretical IR standpoint, Australia's dependency on the United States and, indeed, the development of AUKUS demonstrate threat politics at work.