AUKUS: A SECURITY PARTNERSHIP IN ADDRESSING US – CHINA STRATEGIC COMPETITION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA (SCS)
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Abstract
This article examines the postulation of US – China strategic competition spectrum in South China Sea brought about by the initiation of AUKUS on 16 Sept 2021, a security partnership between Australia, United Kingdom and US. China’s military and economic hostility in South China Sea has prompted the US and like-minded allies to initiate AUKUS to further enhance and consolidate their stand thus ensuring free access to common domains, maintaining stability, capable of deterring aggression and strengthen its alliances. This article highlights and assess the urgency/need of AUKUS as a security partnership in the midst of US – China strategic competition in South China Sea. It applies a qualitative method using empirical evidence from primary and secondary data, performs content analysis from journal, document from credible and academic websites to proof the evidence validity before forming solid conclusion of the article findings. Summary conclude that AUKUS is an indispensable security partnership in mitigating China’s South China Sea assertiveness thus ‘bulwarking’ China towards security stability in South China Sea. This paper also suggests through empirical evidence that AUKUS is a causal in the escalation of US - China strategic competition in the South China Sea.
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