The Take

The subtext of France and Australia’s submarine deal

What do a new security pact and a cancelled military contract say about France’s place in the world?

At a joint press conference, Australia's PM Morrison, Britain's PM Johnson and US President Biden announced a security alliance that will allow for greater sharing of defence capabilities including helping equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines [Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP]

It was supposed to be an announcement of a pact, not the start of a foreign relations crisis between allies. But as Australia announced a new security partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States, dubbed AUKUS, it also cancelled a multibillion-dollar contract to buy submarines from France. So how did an abandoned deal for a dozen submarines turn in to the diplomatic version of a lover’s quarrel?

In this episode:

Natacha Butler (@natachabut), Al Jazeera Paris correspondent
David Brophy (@Dave_Brophy), Senior Lecturer in Modern Chinese History at the University of Sydney

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Source: Al Jazeera