Government ministers hold defence talks in Portsmouth with programme to provide nuclear submarines to Australia

Foreign secretary James Cleverly and defence minister Ben Wallace met with Australian politicians at the Spinnaker Tower yesterday. The UK Government is looking to forge stronger ties in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s growing influence in the region, with Canberra seen as a key ally.

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Australia’s Malaysia-born foreign minister Penny Wong and defence minister Richard Marles were present. One of the major discussion points during the summit was on Aukus, a trilateral defence programme between the UK, the US and Australia to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines.

Mr Marles said the plan was a ‘huge moment in our country’s history’. ‘This will change Australia’s international personality, it will dramatically build our capability, and with that, our sovereignty,’ he told reporters.

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‘The significance of Britain and America working together to help us have that technology is one which, in international terms, is also highly significant.’ Mr Wallace said supplying the vessels was a recognition of the need to stand up to countries threatening the ‘rules-based’ international system.

‘It is important that we recognise that, sadly, the rules-based order is under threat like never before, human rights are being threatened by a range of characters around the world and people are testing the sovereignty of nation states in a way that should worry us all,’ he said.

‘Whether you are in Ukraine or in the far Pacific, from the UK’s point of view those values are true and worth standing up for.’ Mr Wallace added the Aukus pact was ‘about delivering some actual hard power’.