US Senate Passes AUKUS Legislation, Seeks to Counter ‘Unprecedented Threats’

‘It will create a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s threat and influence in the Pacific,’ Sen. Schumer said.

U.S. President Joe Biden (C) participates in a trilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) during the AUKUS summit at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego Calif., on March 13, 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Senate has approved legislation that will authorize the sale of at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia under the AUKUS security pact.

The alliance, which includes Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, seeks to curb Beijing’s encroachment in the Indo-Pacific region.