Malabar naval drills: it’s Australia, India, the US and Japan challenging China, analysts say
- The addition of Canberra to the annual exercises is seen as reflecting a growing clamour for a united front amid concerns over Beijing’s maritime ambitions
- The same four countries make up the Quad security alliance, and India’s invitation to Australia comes as they manage increasingly antagonistic relations with China
The expanded drills mark a major upgrade in military cooperation between Canberra and New Delhi since the 2017 resumption of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or “Quad” – which is composed of the same four countries – after a decade-long hiatus, and comes as Australia and India manage increasingly antagonistic relations with Beijing.
New Delhi on Monday invited Canberra to next month’s Malabar exercises following repeated requests from Canberra and lobbying by Washington and Tokyo. The South Asian nation, which has traditionally followed a policy of non-alignment, had knocked back previous requests by Australia to join out of reported concern for its relations with China.
“There’s one common factor here – and it’s not hard to discern what it is – that is driving these countries that would otherwise not be looking to work more closely together to all of a sudden overcome their reluctance, their uncertainty and their unease to double down on making this arrangement work,” said John Blaxland, professor at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University.
James Goldrick, a former two-star rear admiral in the Royal Australian Navy, echoed Blaxland’s sentiments.
“The reality is that where relationships like the Quad and other forms of regional partnership go will depend directly on the trajectory of China’s behaviour,” he said. “If China continues on its present path, then I believe that [nations in the region] will look to ways to work together to present united fronts on matters where they share vital interests and when those interests appear to be threatened.”