Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued a statement in response to the administration’s announcement that they will support Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines in advancing AUKUS.
“The Chinese Communist Party is a direct threat to U.S. economic and security interests and the sovereignty of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The AUKUS trilateral partnership is an important step to countering this threat while still meeting the highest non-proliferation standards. The announced submarine pathway may take time to achieve. However, there is opportunity to quickly expand technology and information sharing to further defense cooperation in advanced capabilities. This will require congressional action and cooperation with the administration if the partnership is to yield a timely deterrent against the CCP’s threats."