Paul Keating says Aukus locking Australia into a US war against China, which it would ‘certainly lose’

<p>Former prime minister says US would ‘scuttle itself back to San Diego’, leaving Australia to deal with retribution from China</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/sep/18/labor-migration-plan-tony-burke-coalition-qantas-renewable-energy-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">new political email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Aukus critic Paul Keating has said the submarine deal is locking Australia in to any future US conflict with China – “a war America would certainly lose” – and making Australia a target for retribution.</p><p>The former prime minister seized on comments <a href="https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/us-puts-heat-on-canberra-over-port-of-darwin-defence-spending-20260916-p60xov">reported out of Washington</a> this week from Republican congressman Michael McCaul – a China hawk and co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia caucus – who said <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/nucleararmed-us-subs-logical-under-aukus-michael-mccaul/news-story/f639cf1c6dbfef8db744f642dbaa5150">“Australia is a target”</a> for enemies of the US already. However, McCaul argued that greater integration with the US military would better protect Australia rather than leaving it more vulnerable.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/18/paul-keating-aukus-locking-australia-into-us-china-war">Continue reading...</a>