Since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement of the close to AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal , the debate over sovereignty being eroded has re-erupted.
It has been ongoing since the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap was opened . Since the escalated US military presence in Australia, with ever-growing interoperability between the forces of both nations, the debate has grown.
AUKUS is a part of the US military build-up against China — supposedly . In fact, the AUKUS deal involves the establishment of joint US-British submarine presence in a bid to contain China. Australia is set to blindly follow, as it has .
Australia is increasingly becoming a US vassal state, with the constant presence of Marines, access to local bases (which it can control at times) and the submarine deal allows for billions of dollars to go to the US and British shipbuilding.
Albanese and US President Joe Biden released a statement on the military alliance: among other measures, the White House wants to categorise Australia as a US .
Biden plans to ask US Congress “to add Australia as a ‘domestic source’ within the meaning of Title III of the ”. This would streamline tech collaboration, accelerate the AUKUS deal and provide the US with access to Australia’s minerals.
It adds that this should speed up Japan’s involvement in local force posture initiatives including that Tokyo will also have a permanent military presence.
Title III “Expansion of Productive Capacity and Supply” with a range of financial measures to establish purchase commitments that will “improve, expand, and maintain domestic production capabilities needed to support national defense and homeland security procurement requirements”.
The May briefing adds that it aims to prioritise “improving information sharing and technology cooperation mechanisms required to advance our defence and security collaboration, including through AUKUS”.
But under the regime, which aims to restrict and control export of its capabilities, any information a foreign entity shares with it becomes US property and is subject to export restrictions, , unless the White House permits it.
Albanese has agreed to establish a new Australia-based NASA ground station, , which will allow for “the controlled transfer of sensitive US launch technology and data while protecting US technology”.
The intent is to ensure Australia can provide the US military with access to critical minerals, . Currently, Australia mines . Now Australia wants to erode China’s dominance in refining the mineral.
After it is refined here, China adds further refinement for technological use. The said the Albanese government is deliberately attempting to break Beijing’s processing role and do it here to sell it on to allies like the US.
The final refinement process makes lithium useable in batteries and defence capabilities. Under recent US law, Australian companies can obtain loans, or subsidies, to develop their capabilities: this will have a significant knock-on effect on the Chinese economy.
The federal government wants to produce 20% of the world’s refined lithium here by 2027, a move that would further strain the relationship with Beijing.
Australia has two lithium refining plants: the largest is a joint venture between US chemical maker Albemarle and Australian mining company Mineral Resources. It is also opening a path for more US and European investment in the local industry.
Cutting the supply of lithium to China will be a major source of tension. said of the deal signed between the US and Australia at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, it is designed to “closer technological collaboration” and “strengthen AUKUS implementation”.
The classification of Australia as a “domestic source” within Title III of the Defense Production Act should sound alarm bells.
[A longer version of this Sydney Criminal Lawyers.]