Australia's Wong and Marles Engage in Strategic Security Talks with U.S. in Washington to Strengthen Indo-Pacific Alliances

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Australia’s foreign and defence ministers met their US counterparts for annual security discussions in Washington DC.
The agenda included Indo-Pacific stability, critical minerals, defence production and troop deployments.
Leaders also highlighted progress on the AUKUS pact, reaffirming the importance of the defence agreement.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles are meeting their US counterparts in Washington DC, for annual talks expected to focus on Indo-Pacific security.

The duo, plus US secretary of state Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth gathered at the State Department, with many eyes also on the Russia-Ukraine war and fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

They are also expected to touch on countering China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, including in the South China Sea and directed at Taiwan.

“This is a very strong partnership; it’s a strong alliance, and what we want to do is continue to build on it. We think we have a lot of momentum behind this alliance,” Rubio said, hailing cooperation between the US and Australia on critical minerals, defence production and troop deployments.

Though none of the officials explicitly mentioned China during their initial remarks to the press before the formal meeting commenced, the issue of China’s influence in the Pacific and beyond has long been a crucial aspect of the US-Australia alliance.

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals deal at the White House in October.

This came after China imposed tougher rules on exporting its own critical minerals, used in technology from mobile phones to fighter jets and of which Beijing is the top producer and processor.

After a subsequent meeting between then-President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, China announced it would suspend those regulations for a year.

“We have to have critical mineral supplies and supply chains that are reliable, and that are diverse, and not overly invested in one place where they can be used as leverage against us or our partners of the world,” Rubio said on Monday.

One element of that is the AUKUS pact, a Biden administration-era agreement under which the US, Britain and Australia committed to building an Australian fleet of submarines powered by US nuclear technology.

“Our alliance consistently aims to deliver tangible benefits for our security and prosperity, as well as for that of the United States. AUKUS is central to this goal: it benefits Australia, the US, and the United Kingdom,” stated Wong.

Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth standing at podiums in a joint media conference in Washington DC.

US and Australian officials convened for their annual discussions, which primarily focused on security matters in the Indo-Pacific region. Source: AAP / Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA

“We are living in a much more contested world, where it really matters to be doubling down with friends and allies and, obviously, America is front and centre and foremost for Australia in that respect,” he said.

— Reporting by the Associated Press via the Australian Associated Press.