The AUKUS defence pact received much-needed momentum at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defence and security forum.AUKUS members Australia, the UK and US unveiled efforts to enhance their combined capabilities in undersea intelligence gathering and safeguarding critical undersea infrastructure, such as cables and pipelines.The defence pact, established in 2021 to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, comprises two pillars. Under Pillar 1, the UK and US will support Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, while Pillar 2 aims to increase cooperation in combined advanced defence capabilities.There have been concerns recently, however, that the pact was under threat, given its slow...