Australia joins US, Japan and India in military maneuvers

Australia takes part in military maneuvers off the Indian coast in November, uniting four countries concerned about China’s growing influence. India, Japan and the United States, and for the first time since 2007, Australia is participating in major naval exercises in November, which will provoke Beijing’s anger.

Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said on Monday evening that the exercises, codenamed “Malabar”, were aimed at “demonstrating our common commitment to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.” Hidden in the desire to face an increasingly powerful and ambitious China.

The exercises will take place in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, according to the Indian Ministry of Defense.

Over the past decades, China has sought to dramatically increase its influence over Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh, raising serious concerns on the part of New Delhi.
These maneuvers are taking place against the backdrop of diplomatic tensions between China and Australia, economic tensions between China and the United States, and military tensions between China and India. Beijing and New Delhi have sent tens of thousands of troops to the disputed border area between the two countries. In June, 20 people were killed on the Indian side in a hand-to-hand clash and no casualties were reported in the Chinese teams.

This “quad” – an informal strategic group that unites the United States, Australia, India and Japan – is being presented as a means of counteracting Chinese influence, especially the Chinese navy, which has invested heavily in Beijing in recent decades.

However, dividing lines have been drawn between these four democracies over how to confront, control or engage Beijing. The foreign ministers of the four countries met in Tokyo in early October with the aim of showing a united front against Beijing. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Australian Secretary of State have expressed China’s “shared concerns about low activity” in the Indo-Pacific region. Mr. Pompeo called on its allies to work together to protect China from “exploitation, corruption and coercion.”