If the intention is not to eventually turn those nuclear powered submarines into nuclear armed submarines, it will be stupid to believe that AUKUS had to be created to go all out to antagonise the French, by even cancelling their submarine deal, and ruffling the feathers of Indonesia and Malaysia, which to the USA will just be collateral damage. With Australia holding all the cards and given the emperor's edit to rule this region, other ASEAN countries will just be turned into countries of peripheral importance to the USA.
They have to generate the China threat to support the need to proliferate the nuclear threat discreetly, by playing the China card to justify the nuclearisation of Australia. This may lead to Australia being given nuclear missiles eventually to confront China, using the same tactic they attempted in Ukraine. Theoratically, what threat is China posing to Australia, being more than 4,600 miles away. It is not even within the South China Sea regional zone of dispute. The USA/UK's main intention is to cultivate Australia as their officially deputised sheriff in Asia, step by step.
And why openly supplying nuclear powered submarines for Australia, and not Japan. South Korea or the Philippines, countries which will be much closer and more suitable to threaten China with nuclear submarines? The Anglo Saxon Whites never trust the Japs, South Koreans, Pinoys or coloured people, or trust them enough to supply them with nuclear submarines. The USA and UK only trust their own Anglo Saxon Whites, countries willingly allowing themselves to be sacrificed with their undying support just to uphold the US hegemony, or White Supremacy. Losing that hegemony is not in their common interest, even if they have to go back to the stone age.