India, Australia and France to discuss Indo-Pacific maritime security
Foreign ministers for Australia, France and India will meet today for a trilateral dialogue with a focus on the Indo-Pacific.
The trilateral meeting was started as an effort to strengthen cooperation among the three countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and may have been influenced by an increased Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. Canberra, Paris and New Delhi are developing partnerships in their Indian Ocean maritime strategy to balance a rising Beijing, especially after years of volatile US foreign policy prioritizing Chinese competition over coalition-building.
As Beijing looks west to accomplish its vision of becoming a “fully developed, rich and powerful nation” by 2049, New Delhi is likely feeling boxed in from all sides. China is spending tens of billions on its Belt and Road Initiative to gain influence among New Delhi’s neighbors, leaving India determined to continue strengthening regional alliances to provide a foil for Chinese expansionist policy, especially in maritime affairs. Expect more dialogues such as today’s, between Japan, the UK, and the US, while New Delhi attempts to resuscitate relations with Saudi Arabia in an effort to curb Beijing’s regional energy market influence to maintain the status quo.
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