Modi in Australia: Joint defense declaration includes alliance-like consultation clause

Published Jul 14, 01:56 PM UTC

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Australia resulted in significant defense and security outcomes, including a Joint Declaration on Defense that emphasizes interoperability, information sharing, and regional security. The declaration includes an alliance-like consultation clause on Indo-Pacific developments, marking a shift from India's traditional avoidance of formal alliances. Australia also agreed to sell uranium to India for civil nuclear energy, overcoming past NPT-related hurdles. The article argues that both nations seek to reduce reliance on the US and counter China's influence by forming minilateral coalitions with partners like Indonesia and New Zealand. It calls for a unified multilateral response to China's trade coercion, noting that Beijing exploits bilateral asymmetries.