A massive defence deal unveiled this week in San Diego saw Australia, the UK and the US strengthen their alliance and revealed that the multi-decade military partnership is chiefly concerned about China. Under the so-called AUKUS defence pact, Australia will acquire up to eight nuclear-powered submarines costing up to $368 billion between now and the 2050s. Analysts say this next phase of the AUKUS pact is a direct response to growing assertiveness by Beijing. FRANCE 24’s Nicholas Rushworth tells us more.

This post was originally published on Access Asia.