Kyusuibu Honbu
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Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has flagged the revival of controversial four-way naval drills with the United States, India and Japan in a clear signal Australia is pushing back against growing Chinese assertiveness towards its neighbours.
In what could stoke fears in Beijing of a "containment" strategy, Mr Andrews said during a visit to India this week that Australia would be keen to take part in such exercises, which were tried in 2007 but shelved after China reacted badly.
Mr Andrews told an audience during a question and answer session in Delhi that it had been "a mistake" for the then Labor government to pull out of a so-called quadrilateral defence dialogue and naval drill.
"It's not the outlook of the current government," he said. "If we were to be invited by India to observe or to participate in such an exercise in the future, it would be the clear disposition of both myself and the government to accept that invitation."
A spokesman for Mr Andrews said quadrilateral exercises were later discussed in a meeting between the minister and his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar.
While countries hold exercises in various combinations regularly, such a four-way drill is significant because it would send a signal to Beijing of broad co-operation between what are often called the region's "maritime democracies".
Mr Andrews' remarks came as China paraded a procession of tanks, fighter jets and ballistic missiles through the heart of Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a World War II commemoration.
The Rudd government attracted criticism from India and Japan when then foreign minister Stephen Smith dumped the quadrilateral idea in the presence of Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi at a news conference in February 2008, in what looked like a clumsy attempt to win favour from China.
Rory Medcalf, head of the Australian National University's National Security College, said there would "absolutely" be enthusiasm for such a four-way exercise in the other countries.
"There's no doubt a major catalyst for this will have been China's behaviour in the South China Sea," Professor Medcalf said.
While an exercise was a more "oblique" way of pushing back against China than other options such as sailing ships through disputed waters, Beijing would likely be even more concerned now than it was in 2007 and would be "more active in trying to discourage or stop it", he said.
"But it's unreasonable for China to expect to veto who these countries talk to or exercise with. The best thing China can do is moderate its own behaviour."
The revival of Australia's interest received a warm reception in Delhi.
Shyam Saran, chairman of the National Security Advisory Board under India's National Security Council, said this "great" development would proceed steadily, building on next month's bilateral drill.
"It certainly represents a change in how the Australians now look at this relationship," said Mr Saran, a former foreign secretary.
Mr Andrews also said in Delhi that the first bilateral naval drill between Australia and India in the Bay of Bengal next month would include submarines, which Professor Medcalf described as "a big deal".
"Such a high-end military exercise right in India's backyard shows a lot of trust and confidence between the two countries," he said.
Since coming to power a little over a year ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved to significantly strengthen security ties with Japan, the United States and Australia.
His enthusiasm has been at matched or exceeded by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Japan's Shinzo Abe and America's Barack Obama.
Australia flags naval drills with US, India and Japan in signal to China
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