The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have formed a new defensive alliance. The three countries have agreed to join a new security treaty to exchange sophisticated defense technologies.

Speaking at a virtual summit on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced the formation of a new relationship with the agreement to exchange sophisticated technology."Today, we're taking another historic step to deepen and formalize cooperation among all three of our nations because we all recognize the imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term."

"The future of the Indo-Pacific will impact all our futures A partnership that seeks to engage, not to exclude; to contribute, not take; and to enable and empower, not to control or coerce."

Under the new agreement, the United States and the United Kingdom will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear submarine capabilities over the following 18 months.

"We're opening a new chapter in our friendship and the first task of this partnership will be to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, emphasizing of course, that the submarines in question will be powered by nuclear reactors, not armed with nuclear weapons."

They will also share knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, long-range attack capabilities, and undersea systems.

Although US officials have stated that the trilateral alliance is not directed at any one country, many believe the move is likely a response to China's rising military and technological influence.

The action also aligns with the Biden administration's attempt to rally friends against Beijing, as tensions between the two nations have risen over human rights, territorial, and COVID-19 concerns.