ThinkTankWeekly

Malcolm Turnbull: AUKUS is ‘a huge wealth transfer from the Australian government to the US and the UK’

Chatham House | 2026-05-18 | defense

Topics: China, Europe, Indo-Pacific, Nuclear, Defense

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English Summary

Malcolm Turnbull argues that the AUKUS security pact constitutes a 'huge wealth transfer' and a poor strategic decision for Australia. He criticizes the deal by citing logistical flaws, specifically noting that US naval yards cannot produce the required submarines at sufficient scale or speed. Furthermore, he points to the UK's shipbuilding industry being in 'complete disarray.' Strategically, Turnbull suggests that Australia would have been better positioned by maintaining its relationship with France to develop common defense platforms for Europe, rather than committing to the current trilateral arrangement.

中文摘要

馬爾科姆·特恩布爾(Malcolm Turnbull)認為,AUKUS 安全協議對澳洲而言構成「巨大的財富轉移」,且是一個戰略上的錯誤決定。他批評該協議,指出其中存在後勤缺陷,特別提到美國海軍船塢無法以足夠的規模或速度生產所需的潛水器。此外,他還指出英國的造船業處於「一片混亂」的狀態。從戰略角度來看,特恩布爾建議,澳洲若能維持與法國的關係,發展共同的歐洲防禦平台,會比現在投入三邊安排更為有利。

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