Dear Felipe,

American President Joe Biden last night announced a new pact with the UK and Australia to share advanced technologies, which many see as an effort to counter China’s power. The below ECFR experts comment on this announcement.

They are available for interview or comment.

• The view from Beijing: «Beijing sees this as unnecessary provocation and is warning that the US approach cound backfire. The implications for non-proliferation and the strategic balance of power in the region is real.» by Janka Oertel
• The allies: «Australia is feeling threatened by China’s growing assertiveness in the region. And it has every reason to do so. Beijing has demonstrated forcefully that it is willing to use coercive means to achieve its political goals. AUUKUS is a very concrete response of the US and its closest partners to this dynamic, but it carries the potential to further exacerbate tensions.» by Janka Oertel
• The EU strategy: «If anything else, AUUKUS should be understood as a signal that EU member states risk marginalisation if they don’t get involved more seriously in Indo-Pacific affairs.» by Frederic Grare
• The EU strategy: «Europeans so far have not been highly consistent in showing anything beyond rhetoric solidarity with countries challenged by Chinese coercion. This is about more than a deal on submarines. The real question is whether a US-led pushback on the security side against China in the Indo-Pacific region is in Europe’s strategic interest – or not. If it is, then AUUKUS might be a valuable component of this strategy and could be complemented by Europe’s Indo-Pacific push. If it is not, then Europe will have to come up with its own answers to credibly support regional partners – and do so quickly.» by Janka Oertel
• The US view: «The agreement shows the strong determination of the Biden administration to confront China militarily in its own region and to do so in tight collaboration with regional allies. Relative to that goal, issues like nuclear non-proliferation and the sensitivities of France did not matter a great deal.» by Jeremy Shapiro
• The French view: «»Coup de Trafalgar» is the expression on everyone’s lips in Paris right now. Though, the blow is directed at the French defence industrial level, the French government has already vehemently reacted against an announcement that shatters the current Indo-Pacific strategy. It would send a strong signal to have a declaration from Germany, the Netherlands and the EU on what the next steps in the region with major partners should be – with or without the Americans.» by Tara Varma

For further analysis from our experts:

• Moving closer: European views of the Indo-Pacific
• Fish and ships: Chinese fishing and Europe’s Indo-Pacific strategy
• The China factor in the German election
• The crisis of American power: How Europeans see Biden’s America

For interviews or furhter comments, I can be reached at +49015165114216  and [email protected].  

Ana Ramic
Head of Communications
European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Unter den Linden 17, 10117 Berlin
M: +49 (0) 15165114216
E: [email protected] |@ana.ramic |