AUKUS: What lies beneath the new submarine pact?

<p>Until last week, it was one of the government's most closely guarded secrets. Only about ten people in Britain had been privy to the details.</p><p>And then – out of the blue – the UK, the US and Australia unveiled a new strategic alliance. The deal promises nuclear-powered submarines for Australia, and renewed security in the Indo-Pacific region. Today we look at how the announcement has been met in Southeast Asia, where tensions over the South China Sea continue to grow.</p><p><em>This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/subscribe/digital/?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=audio&amp;utm_campaign=podcastsubs&amp;utm_content=storiesofourtimes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes</em></a><em>. </em></p><p><strong>Guest:&nbsp;</strong>Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia editor, The Times.</p><p><strong>Host:&nbsp;</strong>Manveen Rana.</p><p><strong>Clips</strong>: Sky News, The Guardian, The Telegraph.</p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>