NIAD 2021 – Geopolitical and Security Implications of AUKUS on ASEAN
On September 15, 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the formation of an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS”. While it has drawn support from US allies, it also met with criticisms from some ASEAN member countries.
Would AUKUS contribute constructively to the peace and stability of Asia-Pacific and complement the regional architecture, or spark an arm race and destabilize the regional peace and security of Asia-Pacific, more specifically the South China Sea?
How would AUKUS impact the geopolitical landscape of Asia-Pacific amidst the tense US-China relations, and in view that the ASEAN nations have always preached maintaining Southeast Asia as a “zone of peace, freedom and neutrality” (ZOPFAN)?
Is AUKUS consistent with the spirit of the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ or Bangkok Treaty), which is committed to keeping nuclear weapons out of the region signed by all ASEAN member states?
The aim of NIAD 2021 is to provide a platform for scholars and experts on international relations and regional security to deliberate and exchange views on the geopolitical and security implications of AUKUS on ASEAN in particular, and the Asia-Pacific region at large.
A panel of 9 prominent scholars and academics from China, UK, US and ASEAN countries have been invited to the Dialogue to share their perspectives and insights on how AUKUS will impact the strategic landscape of the region.
