Trilateral talks between Indian, Japan and Australia to counter China

News:

• India is mulling the possibility of joint naval exercises with Japan and Australia to further strengthen the blossoming military relationship between the three countries.
•  India had received a strong protest from China the last time when it had carried out such joint talks with the US in 2007. But this time fresh approach is taken to initiate trilateral talks with Japan and Australia not fearing any backlash from China.

Initiatives:

• The first meeting in this regard will been conducted soon which will mainly focus on the tensions in South China Sea and how the three could come together to assure “Freedom of Navigation” in international waters.
• Preliminary talks have already taken place and a joint military naval exercise is very much a possibility. It will help the navies of the three nations to learn how to work together and join forces in the even of a major conflict.
• The US is the main security provider of both Australia and Japan and is very keen to get India on board to counter the growing China threat.
• Few practices were carried out by the Congress government which had hosted the 2007 round of Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal that had all the above nations participating but India soon became very sensitive after China strongly protested the multinational naval exercises.