WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with their Australian counterparts on Monday in Washington for annual talks primarily aimed at enhancing Indo-Pacific security and countering China's increasing assertiveness in the region, particularly regarding the South China Sea and Taiwan.
The meeting included influential figures such as Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles, with additional attention on the broader implications of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, and U.S. military actions against drug traffickers in the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio remarked, This is a very strong partnership, it’s a strong alliance, and what we want to do is continue to build on it. We think we have a lot of momentum behind this alliance, referring to the collaboration between the U.S. and Australia on critical minerals, defense production, and troop deployments.
Although none of the four officials specifically named China during their remarks, the challenges posed by Beijing have woven a central narrative into the U.S.-Australia relationship over recent years.
President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's signing of a critical minerals deal in October highlighted this relationship, especially following China's imposition of stricter export rules on its critical minerals, which are vital for technologies ranging from smartphones to military equipment.
Rubio emphasized the necessity of ensuring reliable and diverse supply chains for critical minerals, stating, We have to have critical mineral supplies that are reliable and diverse, and not overly invested in one place where they can be used as leverage against us or our partners of the world.
Central to their discussions was the AUKUS pact, a trilateral security agreement under which the U.S., the U.K., and Australia are collaborating to build an Australian fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology. Rubio is expected to meet with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper later in the day.
Wong affirmed that the alliance is aimed at delivering concrete benefits for both nations' security and prosperity, citing AUKUS as a triumph for all parties involved, while Hegseth praised Australia's forthcoming investment to expand U.S. submarine production capabilities.
Both Wong and Marles reiterated the importance of American alliances in navigating a more contested global environment. Marles concluded, We are living in a much more contested world, where it really matters to be doubling down with friends and allies—and obviously, America is front and center for Australia in that respect.
