After almost 13 years, the Indian Army, the United States and Japan, as well as the Australian Army are joining the Quad countries' joint military exercises. The exercise will take place next month in November in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. It is officially known as the 'Malabar Exercise'.
There has been a lot of reaction in China as well.
As for Australia, it withdrew from the joint military exercise in 2007. But it is believed that re-engagement in the exercise will strengthen the Quad.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, held in Tokyo, Japan, on October 6 this year was significant in many ways.
According to Zhang Jiadong, a professor at the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries in this time of the Corona epidemic sends a lot of messages. The meeting could have been held via video conferencing, but instead the leaders themselves preferred a sophisticated meeting.
According to Professor Jiadong, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has called for a free and fear-free Indo-Pacific region. But the reason was only one country, China.
Relations between India and Australia have not improved much, which is why Australia withdrew from the exercise in 2007.
But after the October 6 meeting, Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said in a statement that the four Quad countries had agreed to increase mutual trust in the democracies of the Indo-Pacific region.
On the other hand, Australian Foreign Minister Mary Pine also said in a statement that the forthcoming military exercise was discussed between the Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Australia in June. The two leaders held a 'virtual meeting' with each other. Many issues were discussed at the meeting. The joint Malabar exercise is the result of that conversation.
