Opinion | Aukus submarine deal shows a worrying shift in Australia’s foreign policy
- Defence was once an arm of diplomacy but foreign policy is now seen as an arm of defence, which colours all thinking around foreign engagement with Asean
- The deal will significantly affect Australia’s ability to shape regional discussions, particularly on trade
Many a joke-telling session starts with: “Have you heard the one about…?” The latest in Asean is “the one about Aukus”.
Aukus is a product of Australia’s desire to go back to a Western-dominated security environment in Asia. Aukus alliance partners and their supporters are trapped in their own historical bubble. Many of these Western and Japanese policymakers talk and listen only to those who already agree with their view of the world. Thus, the Aukus announcement is a shout in this echo chamber.
Aukus supporters take a groupthink approach and simply cannot see the problem, or solutions, from outside their own perspectives.
The crafting of Australian foreign policy has been slowly transferred to what former US president Dwight D. Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex. This represents a significant change in approach.