Australia has unveiled a mega defence plan as the Indo-Pacific emerges as “the epicentre of rising strategic competition”. This is the first concrete—read military—response to the growing friction in the region fuelled by an aggressive China.
“Our region will not only shape our future, increasingly though, it is the focus of the dominant global contest of our age,’’ said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday, addressing the Australian Defence Forces Academy.
“Tensions over territorial claims are rising across the Indo-Pacific region, as we have seen recently on the disputed border between India and China, and the South China Sea, and the East China Sea,’’ he said.
Australia will pump in 270 billion dollars on high-tech defence equipment in the decade to deal with the “new dynamic of strategic competition’’. Morrison’s plan increases military spend to 2 per cent of the GDP in the midst of an economic crisis. It includes for the first-time land, sea and air-based long range and hyper-sonic strike missiles for Australia.
An Australian Department of Defence read-out stated that the country faces an environment of increasing strategic competition. Australia is “able’’ and willing to “deploy military action’’ to shape the environment, deter actions against its interest, and when required respond with military force. The 2020 Defence Strategic Update and the 2020 Force Structure Plan outline a new strategy for Australian Defence and the “capability investment to deliver it.”
The signal is clear: the plan is aimed at China. And the mask is finally off. Morrison has made it clear. “State sovereignty is under pressure, as are rules and norms and the stability that these provide,’’ he stressed.
“Relations between China and the United States are fractious at best, as they compete for political, economic and technological supremacy. But it's important to acknowledge that they are not the only actors of consequence. The rest of the world, and Australia, are not just bystanders to this,” he said.
For India, it certainly offers an opportunity. It emphasises Australia’s growing unease with a belligerent China. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown India and Australia closer, especially, in cooperating at the World Health Organisation. India supported the Australia-led effort to have an independent inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus.
“As the world’s largest democracy… it would be good for India to take a more significant role on the world’s stage. We have been strong supporters of India having a permanent seat on the UN Security Council,’’ said Australian High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell at a virtual event last month.
The relations between Australia and China have been under strain with the former trying to rejig its supply chains away from China. The Australia-led call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus added further fuel to the fire. Australia also has pledged 1.35 billion dollar over the next decade to enhance cybersecurity capabilities. It is no secret that Australia had taken a strong stand against Huawei and 5G.
Australia wants India to take a leadership role. It would also welcome India taking a more active role in the Quad. “India’s role in the Indo-Pacific is considered crucial by countries such as Australia, Japan and the United States,’’ argued Darshana M. Baruah from Carnegie India in her newly-released paper India in the Indo-Pacific: New Delhi’s Theatre of Opportunity.
So far, India has been reluctant to get on board with the Quad, choosing it to be a concept rather than making it a regional reality. New Delhi sees it as an attempt to contain China by the West. (Letting Australia into the Malabar exercise is New Delhi’s attempt to signal neutrality). However, the friction in the Galwan Valley offers India the opportunity for a re-think.
India has taken a step forward certainly. India and Australia signed the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, which has brought closer the two militaries. The first virtual bilateral between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Morrison saw both countries acknowledge “many of the future challenges are likely to occur in, and emanate from the maritime domain.’’ India might be pinned down on its border at the moment, but expanding its horizons to the seas is essential.
“The Indo-Pacific is a theatre of opportunity for India that allows New Delhi to leverage partnerships to address a new strategic and security environment,’’ argued Baruah. “These partnerships form the core of India’s Indo-Pacific policy, allowing New Delhi to significantly expand its strategic and diplomatic footprint through collaborative initiatives.”
If nothing else, Australia’s move underlines that India is not alone. The battle against an expansionist China has more players. And nothing cements friendship like a common cause.
