Aukus pact raises geopolitical tensionsIn less than a month, the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom (Aukus) has stolen the thunder from other geostrategic schemes that have been around for over a decade. Despite its contentious issues and tensions with China, India's congenital autonomy precludes being roped into the Australia-America axis against Beijing. Second, for the UK, Aukus is deeply consequential. Yet the UK's connection with Australia through Aukus is unlikely to revive old British imperial relations or boost Commonwealth bonds. Asean centrality will thus face a further test under Aukus, as Australia pushes back against China in Southeast Asia's neighbourhood.
