Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton announced that the security agreement concluded by his country with the United Kingdom and the United States will allow Washington to strengthen its military presence in Australia, while the agreement angered Paris, which announced that it was not aware of it, which portends a diplomatic crisis with Washington.
Dutton said - at a press conference within the framework of bilateral talks in Washington - that the security agreement provides for measures that would "significantly enhance" cooperation and interoperability between Australian and US forces.
The US military already has a non-permanent presence in Darwin, northern Australia, where about 2,500 Marines are deployed each year in rotation to conduct exercises.
The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced Wednesday that they would establish a security partnership in the Indo-Pacific region that would help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, scrapping the French-designed submarine deal.
"It will enhance our air capabilities, our naval capabilities, and certainly our military posture as well," Dutton said.
The two countries will also establish in Australia "joint capabilities" in the field of logistics and maintenance of the submarines that Australia will receive, and they will also intensify joint exercises, according to Dutton.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in Canberra that Australia will also receive US Tomahawk cruise missiles.
French anger
France reacted angrily to the $40 billion loss of the deal, calling the US move a "stab in the back".
In 2016, Australia chose French shipbuilder Naval Group to build a new $40 billion submarine fleet, replacing the more than two-decade-old Collins submarines.
A spokesman for the French embassy in Washington denied that the United States had informed France of a new alliance between Washington, Canberra and London, which would enable Australia to obtain American nuclear-powered submarines.
A spokesman for the French embassy explained that his country was not informed of this project until after the first information was published in the American and Australian press, which preceded the official announcement of US President Joe Biden by a few hours.
The French news agency quoted an unnamed French official as saying that the French authorities canceled a celebration scheduled for Friday evening at the residence of the French ambassador in Washington, after canceling the contract to supply Australia with French submarines.
For his part, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described Australia's retreat from the purchase of French submarines as a stab in the back and a betrayal of the trust that Paris had given Canberra.
Le Drian - in statements to France Info - expressed his anger at the Australian position, stressing that the issue will not end once Australia announces the cancellation of the deal.
American reassurance
On the other hand, a White House official praised - in statements to Al Jazeera - the defense agreement between Washington, London and Canberra, stressing that Washington is cooperating closely with Paris on common priorities in the Indo-Pacific region, and will continue to do so.
The official added that revitalizing alliances and partnerships to support the international system means strengthening long-standing historical relations, including with our allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union.
The US official added that his country looks forward to working with the European Union to advance common goals in the region, including through dialogue on China.
For his part, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the United States welcomes competition with China, and does not seek conflict with it.
Psaki added that her country will continue to work and cooperate with partners and allies in Europe to ensure the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
She also noted the United States' appreciation of relations with France, and noted that Australia's purchase of American technologies is a matter for Australians.
Saki revealed that the Americans spoke with French officials before completing the deal to sell the submarines to Australia.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that his country, Britain and Australia will enhance their cooperation in the fields of defense and security, within the "Aukus" initiative announced by President Joe Biden.
Blinken stressed that the initiative reflects the commitment of the three countries to safeguarding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
Chinese apprehension
China's delegate to international organizations in Vienna, Wang Kun, expressed Beijing's deep concern over the announced assistance by the United States and Britain to Australia's possession of nuclear-powered submarines.
During a speech before the meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Chinese delegate said that this step encourages nuclear proliferation, and that this is inconsistent with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The Chinese delegate called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to express openly its official position on Australia's partnership with the United States and Britain to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, which contradicts the commitments of the three countries concerned, according to him.
The United States and its allies are looking for ways to counter China's growing power and influence, particularly its military build-up, pressure on Taiwan, and deployments in the disputed South China Sea.
For his part, the High Commissioner for Foreign Policies of the European Union Josep Borrell said that the time has become more urgent than ever for an independent decision for the Union, which preserves its sovereignty and makes it able to take decisions directly related to its interests.
Borrell added that there is a need to conclude a partnership with the South Pacific region, based on a program that includes defense cooperation, environmental diversity and security exchange.