Strength Through Alliances: Moolenaar, Krishnamoorthi Reaffirm AUKUS Support Amid Aggressive CCP Military Threats
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on China sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressing strong support for the AUKUS partnership and calling for an unwavering commitment to it amid Beijing's growing military aggression.
“The People’s Republic of China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear, conventional, cyber, and space capabilities—many specifically designed to target the armed forces of the United States and our allies—threatens U.S. interests and jeopardizes the security of our partners," the letter writes. "AUKUS is essential to strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and advancing the undersea capabilities that will be central to ensuring peace and stability.”
The letter highlights a series of unprecedented moves by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), including the simultaneous deployment of both Chinese aircraft carriers to the western Pacific and recent naval live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.
These developments underscore Beijing’s ambitions to project military power deep into the southern Pacific—including near New Zealand’s doorstep.
Additionally, Chairman Moolenaar and Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi praised Australia’s $3 billion investment in the U.S. submarine industrial base and reaffirmed the importance of both Pillars I and II of the AUKUS framework—cooperation on submarine production and advanced technology development.
“We are stronger together under the AUKUS framework,” they write. “With an ‘all hands on deck’ approach, appropriate resourcing, and relentless problem solving, we can deliver on the mission of the agreement, strengthen our partnerships, and enhance our shared security interests.”
The letter reiterates the Select Committee’s bipartisan commitment to bolstering U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific and ensuring that the United States maintains its leadership in the undersea domain to deter the CCP’s increasingly coercive behavior.
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