AUKUS is looking forward to expanding the scope of its alliance by inviting more countries.
The list of potential partners includes Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
New Zealand and Canada – both members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance with Australia, the UK, and the U.S.- are also potential partners.
For Asian nations, one main challenge for collaboration is the U.S. restrictions on sharing technological secrets.
To overcome this obstacle, Japan plans to introduce economic security legislation, enhance cybersecurity, and for employees to undergo security clearance checks.
UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said consultations on future cooperation between AUKUS member states and potential partners will start this year.
AUKUS organizers believe these countries have strengths and assets which make them potential candidates for the initiative.
Under the deal, the U.S. and the UK will help Australia build eight nuclear-powered submarines that would around $368 billion.
Australia will start receiving the submarines sometime in the early 2030s.
