New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Australia

Yusuf

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NEW DELHI: India, Indonesia and Australia will form the first "troika" to confer on the Indian Ocean, a first step towards a trilateral grouping in Asia. This new engagement is believed to be significant as all three countries seek to hedge against possible Chinese expansionism.

Peter Varghese, Australian high commissioner and new foreign secretary, said Canberra would be taking charge of the Indian Ocean regional grouping next year, and an India-Australia-Indonesia trilateral would be one of the early deliverables. Talking to TOI on the eve of his departure, Varghese said, "We will have a troika with Indonesia, the incoming vice-chair. This will be a good window to do things, to push practical agenda for IORARC."

The Indian Ocean is proving to be an important strategic outreach for India, as well as Australia, which now focuses more on what it calls the "Indo-Pacific" rather than East Asia. It has created convergences between India and countries like Australia in ways that would not have happened earlier.

Varghese said, "I think we are in a qualitative new space in the (bilateral) relationship. We have now cleared the obstacles that were holding the relationship back. The students' safety issue, while we don't want to be complacent about it, I think is behind us. The uranium issue is now resolved. We've now got some clear air in the relationship."

India is looming higher in the Australian mindset. India, as Varghese points out, is not only the source for the largest number of legal migrants into Australia, it's also one of the greatest sources for skilled labour. The Australian government's recent white paper places a big emphasis on the India relationship. For the first time, both countries are working on geo-political and security issues — the two nations have quietly launched a bilateral dialogue on East Asia.

The big thing, Varghese says, will be an India-Australia approach towards building up the East Asia Summit into an important element of a regional security architecture. "This is a time of some fluidity strategically in Asia, and it's very instant. We are trying to create institutions that help us manage what is going to be a historic transition in the region. The history of Asia is not strong on institutions. It offers a good prospect to get a single institution that can deal with big economic and strategic issues in an integrated way. Australia and India have common objectives."

Last week's East Asia summit showed how the forum can be easily hijacked by territorial disputes. Varghese observes, "The next EAS will be held in the background of a number of concerns about what is happening in relation with territorial disputes in the region. It would be a natural thing for the EAS to discuss that. We all want to see those issues resolved in a way that uphold certain core principles, the most important of which is the peaceful resolution of disputes and also a resolution which respects international law, freedom of navigation and freedom of the high seas."
New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping emerges; India, Indonesia, Australia to hold talks - The Times of India on Mobile
 

nrj

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

Substanceless noise.

There can't be anti-china movement between these 3 nations, be it on geographical, diplomatic or economic terms.

India is too busy setting its house right than being proactive.

Aus is taking measures so as not alienate itself from rest of the world just because territorial closeness with China is beneficial.

Indonesia will just milk developing & near-developed economies like India, china respectively.
 
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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

Why are so many other countries left out of this list?? Vietnam ,Phillipines etc...
 

drkrn

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

Substanceless noise.

There can't be anti-china movement between these 3 nations, be it on geographical, diplomatic or economic terms.

India is too busy setting its house right than being proactive.

Aus is taking measures so as not alienate itself from rest of the world just because territorial closeness with China is beneficial.

Indonesia will just milk developing & near-developed economies like India, china respectively.
really so:hitwall:

every country around china has become anxious about its military presence and its overwhelming dominance over smaller nations. who knows tomorrow china may claim a stake in indian ocean too.........

better to be late than sorry.

by the way america is doing its level best to contain china which they are partially successful ,relieving pressure on india a bit by forcing china to concentrate on that side
 

nrj

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

really so:hitwall:

every country around china has become anxious about its military presence and its overwhelming dominance over smaller nations. who knows tomorrow china may claim a stake in indian ocean too.........
It is at our judgement if to be concerned by expansionist claims of PRC on smaller countries around it in far eastern region or solve our own bilateral border disputes first.


by the way america is doing its level best to contain china which they are partially successful ,relieving pressure on india a bit by forcing china to concentrate on that side
US and China have learned to live with each other due to inter-dependence of economics, trade and essentialities of having reliable market. We are on our own, US isn't doing anything for Indian interests.
 
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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

very suprised Japan is not on this list?
 

drkrn

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

It is at our judgement if to be concerned by expansionist claims of PRC on smaller countries around it in far eastern region or solve our own bilateral border disputes first.




US and China have learned to live with each other due to inter-dependence of economics, trade and essentialities of having reliable market. We are on our own, US isn't doing anything for Indian interests.
what usa is doing is only in its interests but an indirect benefit for india thats what i meant
 

nrj

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

what usa is doing is only in its interests but an indirect benefit for india thats what i meant
These are very short term and rather tactical actions to develop India's dependence on US led resources.
 

Ray

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

Great going.

More will join in!

China's hegemonic pursuit will ensure that they are loved by all.
 

no smoking

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

very suprised Japan is not on this list?
First reason is that this group is not aiming at China. Indonsia & Australia work together against Chinese? The editor of this paper must drink too much.

Second, Japan only need one nation in its conflict with Chinese -- USA. There is no one else has the power and willingness to offer any meaningful help on this problem. Indian media may want to offer something but India navy cannot do anything before it dominate indian ocean.
 
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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

First reason is that this group is not aiming at China. Indonsia & Australia work together against Chinese? The editor of this paper must drink too much.

Second, Japan only need one nation in its conflict with Chinese -- USA. There is no one else has the power and willingness to offer any meaningful help on this problem. Indian media may want to offer something but India navy cannot do anything before it dominate indian ocean.
These were nations in the Indian ocean as a member pointed out earlier or many others would have
been involved. As far as Australia goes they are building a superbase for USA to use against China in the future
but that does not mean they are against the chinese.
 

Bheeshma

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

Indian navy needs to have a third fleet based in A&N to project into SEA but not as a part of some silly alliance.
 

thakur_ritesh

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Re: New anti-China Asian trilateral grouping; India, Indonesia, Austra

Why are so many other countries left out of this list?? Vietnam ,Phillipines etc...
very suprised Japan is not on this list?
LF,

Two things here:

One, report is coming from ToI, which is known to hype up any thing that is centered around China, so the headlines could be sensational and no more, and so I agree, the nature of reporting lacks substance as pointed out by NRJ.

Two, India isn't really interested for now in any arrangement which has multiple players, and is seen as a group formed to directly challenge China. India by and large is attempting to keep these groupings as either bilateral, or at best trilateral in nature, so not many countries will be seen clubbing in wherever India features, but that is not to say India is not forging strong working relationships that could in future come in handy to counter the Chinese challenge.

Over all India is in no real confrontationist mood vis-a-vis China. We are possibly looking at diplomatic, political, and strategic capital that we can drawn for now from the emerging situation.
 

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