That only a handful of people in Canberra knew that the AUKUS pact was being negotiated is a minor concern for those living on China’s borders.
Any discussion about how AUKUS is perceived in the region should take in the view from Vietnam, which sees the agreement involving Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States as self-evidently in Australia’s national interest. Hanoi sees AUKUS as both a trilateral security alliance and a vehicle to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines using technology provided by the UK and US. It does not have a problem with that.
Australia can count on Vietnam to support AUKUS | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)



