Australia and United States defense ministers are determined to counter China’s ’destabilizing military activities’

The defence ministers of Australia and the United States are determined to “counter destabilising military activities by the People’s Republic of China,” according to a statement issued following a meeting at the Pentagon.

On Monday, US SecDef Lloyd Austin met with Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles in Washington as part of the annual AUSMIN talks, which will also include the two countries foreign ministers on Tuesday.

Ben Wallace @BWallaceMP, the defence minister of the United Kingdom, will also be present at the AUKUS ministers’ first face-to-face meeting on Wednesday in Washington.

Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom formed a defence technology group to provide nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia.

The AUKUS meeting comes at a critical juncture for the partners, who must decide whether the submarine will be British or American in March and lay the groundwork for an Australian fleet.