Australia joins ‘Quad’ drill with US, Japan, India

Australia will participate in large-scale military exercises off the coast of India due to which a quarter of countries concerned by rising Chinese influence will gather under one roof.

According to the international news agency, India, Japan, the United States, and Australia will join November’s Malabar naval exercise. This can lead to opposition from China.

Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said that the drills were about “demonstrating our collective resolve to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific” – an allusion to countering China’s power.

India’s Ministry of Defense reported that the naval drill is expected to be held in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

“As India seeks to increase cooperation with other countries in the maritime security domain and the light of increased defense cooperation with Australia, Malabar 2020 will see the participation of the Australian Navy,” said a statement by the Ministry of Defence.

“The participants of Exercise Malabar 2020 are engaged 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 drill comes when diplomatic relations between Australia and China, economic ties between China and the US, and military ties between China and India are hostile.
According to the international news agency, ‘Quad’ has been touted as a means of countering Chinese influence.