AUKUS

Japanese politicians are debating whether Japan should also possess one. Japan goes to elections in November and the nuclear submarine for Australia, coupled with Chinese aggression in the region, has become a political issue. Taro Kono�Japan's administrative reform minister, who is likely to lead the ruling party LDP, and may become the Prime Minister after Yoshihide Suga, is in favour.

During the party's annual conference held on Monday, delegates passed the emergency motion by 70.35 per cent to 29.65 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.

Addressing a media briefing here, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that QUAD and AUKUS were not groupings of a similar nature. "The QUAD is plurilateral grouping - a group of countries having a shared vision of their attributes and values QUAD is designed to cater to requirements of the Indo-Pacific region", he said.

The AUKUS will primarily focus on empowering Australia’s military strength, with the UK and the US already planning to provide nuclear submarines to Canberra. Although not explicitly mentioned, the move has come amidst China’s growing influence all over the world, especially in the South China Sea.