Why the Aukus, Quad and Five Eyes Pacts Anger China

The newly sealed Australia-U.K.-U.S. defense accord, known as Aukus (“AW-kus”), reflects rising global concern over China’s ascendancy. So does renewed activity within two other groupings of leading democracies, Five Eyes and the Quad. Aligning against the world’s largest exporter and possessor of the largest active military is no easy task, but the effort has been helped by China’s own actions toward some of its neighbors.

It’s a security pact announced in September with the initial purpose of helping Australia develop at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, a project that could take more than a decade. At the moment, only six nations -- the U.S., the U.K., France, China, Russia and India -- have the technology to deploy and operate nuclear-powered subs, which are faster than their diesel-electric counterparts, can stay submerged almost indefinitely and have space for more weapons, equipment and supplies.