Australia to Join US, India, and Japan Exercises Next Month... Quad's Four Nations Aim to "Contain China"

Australia for the First Time Since 2007
China: "International Military Exercises Should Contribute to Regional Peace"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The four countries known as the 'Quad Bloc'?the United States, India, Japan, and Australia?will begin joint military exercises next month to counter China.

According to Indian media including the Times of India on the 20th, the Indian Ministry of Defense announced the day before that Australia has been invited to participate in this year's 'Malabar,' the annual joint naval exercise among the United States, India, and Japan. This is Australia's first participation since 2007. This year's Malabar exercises will be conducted in two phases in early and mid-next month in the Bay of Bengal to the east of India and the Arabian Sea to the west.

India has been conducting the Malabar joint exercises with the U.S. Navy in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea since 1992, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has participated as a permanent member since 2015. In the 2017 exercises held in the Bay of Bengal, the U.S. and India deployed aircraft carriers, while Japan mobilized the large escort ship Izumo, which is considered aircraft carrier-class.

The Indian Ministry of Defense explained the background of the Australian Navy's participation in the Malabar exercises by stating, "India has sought to enhance cooperation with other countries in the maritime security domain."

Linda Reynolds, Australian Minister of Defense, said, "The Malabar exercises are an important opportunity for Australia's defense capabilities," adding, "They demonstrate the deep trust and commitment to shared security interests among the four major democracies in the Indo-Pacific region."

The Quad is a consultative group formed with the inclusion of India, which had maintained a non-aligned status, alongside the U.S.'s traditional allies Japan and Australia, coinciding with former President Donald Trump's hardline stance against China.

Indian media particularly emphasize that the four Quad countries share a consensus on the need to check China's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The Times of India analyzed, "The military exercises among the four countries will clearly demonstrate their resolve against China's expansionism in the Indo-Pacific."

Currently, the U.S. is confronting China on multiple fronts ahead of next month's presidential election, and India is in serious conflict with China over border issues. Australia has experienced diplomatic friction with China over its support for an independent investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

China, which has opposed the Malabar exercises so far, expressed discomfort over Australia's decision to participate this time. At a regular briefing that day, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to questions about Australia's participation by saying, "China's consistent position is that military exercises between countries should contribute to regional peace and stability."