NEW DELHI: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that her country’s strategic ties with India were very important for the balance of power in the world, amid unprecedented military modernization of the China.
Wong, who is in New Delhi for the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, warned that China had modernized its military on a scale “never seen before in the world”.
“…China continues to modernize its military at a pace and scale not seen anywhere in the world in nearly a century, with little transparency. North Korea continues its destabilizing behavior with its nuclear weapons program and its ballistic missile launches,” Wong said.
Speaking at an event at Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, Wong said the partnership between Australia and India was crucial to the “strategic balance of power” in the region.
Notably, the two countries, along with the United States and Japan, are part of a four-nation strategic group called Quad which is considered a counter-power force against an expansionist China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The four countries, which jointly conducted military exercises in Malabar, strongly advocated a free and fair Indo-Pacific in a message to China.
Reiterating Australia’s commitment to the region, Wong called for partnerships to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“…The Indo-Pacific region needs partnerships to ensure free and open order and to ensure that it is not dominated by any power. This is the vision of a region based on sovereignty,” a- she declared.
The Australian Foreign Minister added that India is crucial as it contributes to the strategic balance of power in the region.
“Mutual strategic reassurance and military risk reduction measures are encouraged by Australia,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Wong met his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in the national capital for the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.
On Monday, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said China was the “greatest security concern” for India and Australia, highlighting the need for both countries to work together.
“We share an ocean and in that sense we are neighbors, and there has never been a more important time for our two countries to work together,” Marles said, emphasizing the importance of knowledge cooperation. of the maritime domain.
(With contribution from agencies)
Wong, who is in New Delhi for the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, warned that China had modernized its military on a scale “never seen before in the world”.
“…China continues to modernize its military at a pace and scale not seen anywhere in the world in nearly a century, with little transparency. North Korea continues its destabilizing behavior with its nuclear weapons program and its ballistic missile launches,” Wong said.
Speaking at an event at Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, Wong said the partnership between Australia and India was crucial to the “strategic balance of power” in the region.
Notably, the two countries, along with the United States and Japan, are part of a four-nation strategic group called Quad which is considered a counter-power force against an expansionist China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The four countries, which jointly conducted military exercises in Malabar, strongly advocated a free and fair Indo-Pacific in a message to China.
Reiterating Australia’s commitment to the region, Wong called for partnerships to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“…The Indo-Pacific region needs partnerships to ensure free and open order and to ensure that it is not dominated by any power. This is the vision of a region based on sovereignty,” a- she declared.
The Australian Foreign Minister added that India is crucial as it contributes to the strategic balance of power in the region.
“Mutual strategic reassurance and military risk reduction measures are encouraged by Australia,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Wong met his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in the national capital for the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.
On Monday, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said China was the “greatest security concern” for India and Australia, highlighting the need for both countries to work together.
“We share an ocean and in that sense we are neighbors, and there has never been a more important time for our two countries to work together,” Marles said, emphasizing the importance of knowledge cooperation. of the maritime domain.
(With contribution from agencies)
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