And now, it has upped the ante by uniting with two other classic naval powers in this Nato-style Pacific alliance. Through AUKUS, President Biden is giving teeth to what has been dubbed the ‘pivot to Asia’ –the American military, diplomatic and economic rebalance towards the Pacific, first outlined under the Barack Obama administration. Poaching former Australian agricultural export markets in China has been a key feature of her policies towards Beijing. But perhaps president Emmanuel Macron could take this opportunity to turn a long-held French dream of leading a European army into reality. Mark Almond is director of the Crisis Research Institute, Oxford

Source: The Nation September 16, 2021 21:56 UTC