Australia, India Look to Deepen Ties as Beijing Continues Push Into Indian Ocean

Iranian, Russia, and Chinese warships during a joint military drill in the Indian ocean. Iran, Russia and China will began today joint naval drills for three days in the Indian Ocean, seeking to reinforce "common security", an Iranian naval official said on Jan. 21 2022. Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images

Australia and India will look to deepen diplomatic ties as both countries move to establish a network of stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar spoke at a joint press conference on Oct. 11.

“We’ve got a shared interest, and we share an ambition, and that is our region being stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty, where countries are not required to choose sides but make their own sovereign choices,” Wong said.

“We don’t want to see any one country dominating or any country being dominated. We both recognise our region is being reshaped economically and strategically, and I think our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together.”

She said the Australian government said working with others, including partnerships with India, was the only way to ensure the country’s national interest was supported.

“We agree that we have to continue to deepen our relationship, and I’m pleased to flag with you that Dr. Jaishankar and I have agreed that we will keep working to expand our relationship, including our diplomatic footprint in each other’s countries,” she said.

Echoing Wong’s sentiments, Jaishankar said that India saw the bilateral relationship as a key component in shaping a better region for both countries.

“I think the underpinning of that really is that as liberal democracies, we both believe in a rules‑based international order; in freedom of navigation in international waters; in promoting connectivity, growth and security for all; and, as Minister Wong said, in ensuring that countries make sovereign choices on matters that are important to them,” he said.

Beijing Sees Indian Ocean as Critical to Strategic Operations

The comments from the two ministers come as China moves to expand naval operations in the Indian Ocean, traditionally the geo-strategic zone of India.

Sameer Lalwani, a senior fellow for Asia strategy at the Stimson Center, wrote in Politico in August that Beijing’s ambitions in the Indian Ocean have previously not attracted much attention but noted the Chinese regime had built dozens of advanced warships, which seemed to be destined for the region—80 percent of global sea trade transits the area.

“Chinese leaders have already laid the groundwork for a military presence in this region, as well as diplomatic relationships with key countries. Within a decade, China could position itself as the dominant naval power in the critical space stretching from the Malacca Strait to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait,” Lalwani wrote.

Beijing’s Naval Build-up Concerning For Western Allies

A 2021 report (pdf) by the U.S. government estimated that China could build as many as 67 new major surface combatants vessels and 12 new nuclear-powered submarines by 2030.

This is concerning to the U.S. and its allies, with another Pentagon report (pdf) arguing that if China did establish military superiority in the Indian Ocean, it could allow Beijing to threaten maritime trade routes and even stop the U.S. military from moving through the region if there was a conflict in Asia.

“With an unchecked fleet able to exercise control in the Indian Ocean—even if for legitimate purposes to protect trade and investments—China could intimidate states militarily and economically, just as it has done in the South China Sea for years, and more recently with Bangladesh, the Maldives and Indonesia,” Lalwani wrote. “It could engage in unsafe conduct close to ships and planes, harass commercial or naval vessels, and enter other countries’ waters and airspace.”

Lalwani argues this could leave many smaller Indo-Pacific states vulnerable to coercion from the Chinese regime and force them to align with Beijing.

Commenting on the growing threat, Jaishankar told journalists on Oct. 10 that he believed a naval presence that strengthens and provides security in the region would contribute to prosperity.

He also noted that it was important for countries to consider the intent and behaviour of the military forces of other nations.

“When I look at my own navy, other than securing our national security, we have over some years now developed a reputation, rightly, of being a first responder. We have been available when natural disasters strike, when COVID problems happened; when different countries got into difficulties of various kinds,” he said.

“So, I think a lot of it is really—what is the intent, what is the messaging, what are the behavioural characteristics, how transparent you have been?  I think these are all factors when any country assesses the presence of any other country’s naval forces.”