It’s hard to appreciate how big a deal the agreement that the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced last week, known as AUKUS, really is.
If it works as advertised, the “enhanced trilateral security partnership” will be a turning point for the Indo-Pacific, the beginning of a deep, structural modernization of regional security.
One measure of its significance is the response. Anger is palpable. China, the unspoken, but unmistakable target, is incandescent. But it isn’t the only government with issues about the deal. While they are mostly supportive of the agreement, U.S. allies and partners also quietly voice some unease. Here are two sides of the argument.