If this was to divert attention from the Afghanistan debacle, where all three of AUKUS ran away together as fast as they could last month, then this show does serve its purpose.

Point the short attention span of the audience away from China and to something else.

China has said this new alliance undermines stability and peace in the region. What else it is going to say?

Not sure anyone else in the region is raising alarm bells or devising counter moves. This move was not much to begin with.

This worst part of this new alliance, is that it sends the wrong message to ASEAN and to Europe.

ASEAN will stay neutral and probably put more effort into staying neutral between China and America. ASEAN will not want to be part of increasing this military ante, not for either side. However, being neutral militarily, does not apply economically, where ASEAN and China are getting closer. The RCEP will double its economic output in 10-15 years, with all enjoying the fruits of that effort.

AUKUS will not contain the growth and further integration of the RCEP region. In fact, China might cut off those three countries of AUKUS some more to exclude them from benefiting from the economic growth in the region.

(For example, China buys iron ore from Australia to make steel that is exported for BRI. Buy the iron ore from someone else, Australia cut off from that business. Also the de-Americanization of components in Chinese made goods, due to the trade war, means less business for US companies, in the fastest growing markets in the world).

In short, one side ups the military ante, the other side ups the economic ante. ASEAN plays along.

The message to Europe is clear. Australia is more important than France. That is kind of nutty. If America does not need you, then who needs America?