Last week the US, UK and Australia announced a new defence pact, dubbed AUKUS, which would see Australia equipped with nuclear-powered submarines. The deal comes at the cost of a USD30 billion agreement between Australia and France, which has blindsided the French government and created a diplomatic furor. Meanwhile China has also criticized the "Cold War mentality" of the AUKUS members, warning of a potential arms race. We discuss the implications of the agreement with Susannah Patton, Research Fellow at the University of Sydney.

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