Last week, the U.S., U.K., and Australia announced a new security partnership to strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region. It comes as China continues to expand its military presence and influence in the region. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, a massive body of water that stretches about 1,200 miles from the Chinese mainland and covers approximately 1.4 million square miles. As part of the new deal, the U.S. and U.K. will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, which will allow the Australian navy to help counter Chinese nuclear-powered vessels in the region. But a diplomatic crisis has erupted. China denounced the nuclear submarine deal, and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region will likely continue to rise. Additionally, France was angered because the new plan ended its deal with Australia to sell conventionally powered submarines.