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New Indo-US-Aus trilateral pact on cards?
Close on the heels of the recent formalisation of a trilateral dialogue between India, USA and Japan on regional and global issues, yet another prospective trilateral involving New Delhi is being talked about. The new trilateral envisages India partnering Australia and USA.
The convergence of interests in defence and security relations besides regional and global issues among New Delhi-Canberra-Washington in the Indo-Pacific region is being seen as yet another deterrent to the growing naval power of Beijing.
India’s commitment to such mechanisms, which are increasingly security driven highlights New Delhi in a new role, as dominant powers like America and Japan are on a downward slide.
In the absence of a quadrilateral involving India, Japan, USA, Australia, the new trilateral can see the synergy of interests in the Indo-Pacific region which could also be conducive to economic and political stability besides security. Nevertheless, the idea is not to put China into defensive but to put it in a more productive role.
Liza Curtis, handling Asian studies at the US-based Heritage Foundation admitted as much saying: “Trilateral dialogue is important in the absence of a quadrilateral.”
US, Australia and India face common challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region like sea-lane security, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation and disaster relief. A trilateral dialogue between these countries would give them an opportunity to understand and act together to address current and future challenges more effectively.
As the US strategy in Afghanistan is hitting serious roadblocks with its sharply deteriorating relations with Pakistan, the trilateral can help prevent Taliban elements from regaining control, suggest three prominent global think tanks in a joint paper.
Titled “Shared Goals, Converging Interests: A Plan for US-Australia-India Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”, the paper pitched for a “Track-II diplomacy” to understand each country’s threat perception.
“I believe that growing strategic challenges presented by a rising China and continuing threats from terrorism in the region will inevitably drive the US and India to cooperate more closely on defence and other key sectors like space, maritime security and nuclear nonproliferation,” Dr Kim Holmes, Former US Assistant Secretary of State, said here.
