A US-UK deal to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, widely seen as targeting China, is at risk because of shifting priorities in Washington and London.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the AUKUS agreement be reviewed and a key aide has argued that American submarine production is insufficient for domestic requirements, let alone supplying another country, while Britain faces similar manufacturing constraints.
As a result, doubts are surfacing in Canberra, where officials are concerned Trump will renege on the deal negotiated by his predecessor Joe Biden.
The consequences are both financial — Australia has already committed $3 billion to the agreement, which has no payback clause — and strategic: The countries all say they want to push back against Beijing.