In a strong message to China, the Quad- an informal strategic forum comprising the US, Japan, Australia and India is coming together in India’s backyard. After months of speculation, India has finally invited Australia to join the Malabar drill- an annual joint naval exercise, which already includes the other three Quad partners- India, Japan and the United States of America. The annual naval exercise is expected to be held in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea later this year.
India’s invitation to the Australian Navy is a turning point in India’s China policy. Till now, Australia wanted to join the annual naval exercise but India was hesitant to invite Canberra in order to avoid annoying the paper dragon. But who cares about Beijing’s sentiments any longer? China has singled out Australia amongst the Quad members for mounting an economic assault, it is only justified that New Delhi is bringing in Australia for the Malabar naval exercise.
It is for the first time that all the Quad partners will come together for the Malabar naval exercise. Confirming the Australian Navy’s presence at the annual exercise, India’s Defence Ministry has stated, “India seeks to increase cooperation with other countries in the maritime security domain and in the light of increased defence cooperation with Australia, Malabar 2020 will see the participation of the Australian Navy.”
India has, of course, not named China in its official statement about Australian Navy’s participation in Malabar 2020. However, the Defence Ministry has stated, “The participants of Exercise Malabar 2020 are engaging to enhance safety and security in the maritime domain. They collectively support free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and remain committed to a rules based international order.”
The Malabar naval exercise finally becomes a Quad event. Indian extends a formal invitation to Australia to join the 2020 edition of the military exercise that has so far involved the navies of India, U.S., and Japan. Breaking on @IndiaToday: pic.twitter.com/GQB75GPsON
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) October 19, 2020
Canberra too has confirmed participation in the annual naval exercise. A statement by Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne read, “Following an invitation from India, Australia will participate in Exercise MALABAR 2020.”
Australia’s inclusion in the annual Malabar naval exercise carries a lot of symbolism. First of all, it makes the Quad complete at a military level. The Quad is finally gathering steam and moving towards eventual formalisation and even more importantly the informal security forum is heading towards militarisation. The Quad is at the brink of showing its combined military muscle in order to hem in China’s blue-water navy ambitions.
The militarisation of the Quad is a product of the changing geopolitical factors. Presently, China is engaged in military tensions or at least diplomatic tensions with all the four Quad partners.
While the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army are engaged in a tense standoff in Eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control- the effective India-Tibet border, similarly, Tokyo has been tackling Chinese vessels intruding into the waters near Japan’s Senkaku Islands. As for the US, the increasing tensions in the South China Sea and Chinese aggression against Taiwan is making the White House focus on reining in the paper dragon.
Australia itself might not be facing any immediate military threat from China. But it is well known that China wants to expand its influence in Australia’s vicinity- the Pacific Islands and even the Oceanian countries and small islands like Papua New Guinea or the French territory of New Caledonia. It is in Canberra’s larger interest not to lower its guard in face of an increasingly belligerent China.
Therefore, by coming together in the Bay of Bengal in the vicinity of the Strait of Malacca- a narrow chokepoint connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Quad is making it clear that it reserves the option of cutting China to size and blocking the Chinese Navy’s access to the Indian Ocean Region.
The Quad is therefore becoming strategically significant. It is working in the most formal manner for an ‘informal’ security group. The Quad countries themselves are becoming more and more intertwined, interlinked and interdependent. India, for example. has signed military logistics sharing pacts with the US, Australia and Japan.
Australia and the US also cooperate in the Pacific as a part of the ANZUS Pact, formally called the Pacific Security Treaty amongst Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Japan itself shares deep military ties with the US and is now considering expanding military cooperation to include countries like India and Australia.
Every Quad member is therefore working at some significant level with all other Quad members which is strengthening the level of trust that Quad enjoys when it comes together.
Quad is evolving into a formal security alliance system, something that should send warning bells ringing for China. Some of the world’s most powerful democracies are coming together to take on the Communist-authoritarian nation with India at the centre of the upcoming anti-China coalition.