Col B S Nagial (Retd)
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, popularly known as Quad), is an informal strategic group forum among the US, Japan, Australia and India. Summits, information exchanges and military drills between the member nations are conducted regularly. Member countries initiated this as dialogue in 2007, the discussion paralleled by the joint military exercise of an unprecedented scale, popularly known as Malabar exercise. In 2008, Australia withdrew from the forum shortly after conducting joint naval exercise between Quad and Singapore as China had protested it. Meantime then Japan’s Prime Minister Mr Yasuo Fuckuda and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed separate agreements with China to uphold their relationships with China. In 2008 Indian PM signed an agreement to assure China that Indo-China relationship takes the priority. However, India, Japan and the US continued to conduct the joint naval exercises through Malabar till 2019.
This time the Malabar exercise was conducted in two phases, phase-1from 3-6 Nov and phase-2 from 17-20 Nov. It was ‘non-contact at sea level only’ due to COVID-19. For the first time after 13 years, all the four-member nations’ navies participated in this exercise. Participating vessels in phase1 were USS John S. McCain, INS Shakti, INS Ranvijay, INS Shivalik, INS Sinduraj, HMAS Ballarat and JS Onami and in phase 2 saw joint operation with two carrier battle groups Vikramditya and Nimit. This phase saw tactical training, night operation, underwater replenishment, and gunner exercises. Australia’s much-awaited inclusion at the Malabar Exercise-2020 reflects a change in India’s foreign policy that was traditionally pro Chinese concerns on the militarisation of the Quad. In the backdrop of the on-going stand-off with China at the Ladakh border, the Indian Navy had maintained a high operational tempo. It deployed the highest number of frontline assets during the conduct of the Malabar exercise. India must build on this strategic vision and work towards including France at the next edition of Malabar, in 2021.
Takeaways:
* Australia’s participation in Malabar exercise after 13 years shows the seriousness of the participating member nations in strategic matters aimed at the containment of the growing influence of Chinese.
* India has gained geostrategic prominence amidst China’s efforts to escalate the border disputes with India and many neighbouring countries.
* China’s strained relations with US, Japan, and Australia have helped India to revamp the measures to counter the Chinese’s growing threat.
* As the stand-off in eastern Ladakh continues, the participation of four large navies from the Indo-Pacific region will send a message to China.
* Over the last few months, the Indian Navy has conducted many Passage Exercises (PASSEX) with navies from Japan, Australia and the US.. Still, those were basic exercises to increase operability between the navies, while Malabar involves simulated war games.
One could see Quad in action from the two recent two instances. One, on 03 Dec 2020, Australian lawmakers cleared the legislation that gives the federal Government power to veto any agreement signed by the state with foreign countries. Probably it has been done to target China that had signed a contract with the South Australia state of Victoria in 2018 under Belt and Road Initiative. “Australia’s policies and plans, the rules that we make for our country are made here in Australia according to our needs and our interests,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra soon after signing the legislation. Today, the United States’ House of Representatives has cleared ruling to delist the foreign firms that don’t adhere to US auditing standards. This move could lead the Chinese companies including such as Alibaba Group, Baidu Inc and PetroChina getting delisted from American exchanges if they don’t let US regulators review their financial audits. Policy analysts in India said that the two laws that seek to curb Chinese influence weren’t taken in isolation.”It is Quad in action,” one of them said, referring to the informal group of Japan, Australia, the United States and India.
Foreign ministers of these four countries met in Oct this year in Japan, and they expressed concern over the Chinese policy of flexing muscles to threaten the countries sharing borders China. The disputes include India’ Eastern Ladakh region, South-China Sea and East China sea. India is engaged in a stand-off with China over its attempt to grab the Indian territory by unilaterally changing the Line of Actual Control. The two armies even clashed in Galwan valley in June that led to casualties of both the sides. It has been more than six months, but there has been no change on the ground.But both sides have managed so far to keep the situation under control. Japan has been uncomfortable at China’s continuing attempts to undermine Japan’s administration over the Senkaku Islands; the East China Sea islets claimed by Beijing that have pushed Tokyo to increase its defence budget to a record high and scale up defence cooperation.Last month, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a breakthrough agreement on a defence pact with Australia that will allow reciprocal visits for training and operations. This pact is the first in 60 years that approves a deal permitting foreign troops to operate on its soil.
Three major developing countries India, Japan and Australia and the one superpower the US make Quad a miniAsain-NATO. Although Quad had a rocky past yet recently, it has strengthened its base. India and Australia have shown more significant interests. The inclusion of Australia in Malabar exercise this year make a shift in the foreign policy of India toward China. The mandate of Quad remains very wide such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, effective-supply chains, disaster relief, etc. The resurgence of China is a crucial factor for the rise of the Quad.
However, for the Quad, still, it remains in the early stage. Unless this new momentum is maintained, it will not only fail to find its relevance but strengthen the Chinese influence in the region. It is still an informal group and in its nascent stage, therefore, requires proper functionality in addition to consistent efforts and clear direction. While China’s containment is, and will, continue to be the primary driver, this group must explore and cultivate other areas of cooperation to strengthen the scope as envisaged by the four Quad nations.India has many other partners in the Indo-Pacific; therefore, India should pitch for countries like Indonesia, Singapore, to be invited to join in the future. Also, Quad countries should involve other countries such as Russia, France and the UK to make Quad a viable and potent weapon.
India should develop a comprehensive vision on the Indo-Pacific which would ideate on the current and future maritime challenges, consolidate its military and non-military tools, engage its strategic partners. To secure national and regional interests, India should now focus on the naval sphere also. In this context, establishing a new division under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to deal with the Indo-Pacific is a step in the right direction.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel