India is expected to take a call on inviting Australia to join the naval Malabar series of exercises next week as China has been bitterly opposed to the inclusion of Australia in this annual exercise, which includes India, US and Japan.

Beijing opposes any move to include Australia in this prestigious exercise as it may signal militarisation of Quadrilateral (Quad) coalition. The Malabar exercises began in 1992 bilaterally between India and the US.  Japan was included in 2015 and since then there were talks to include Australia as an observer in the exercise. 

Incidentally, Japan and the US are keen on Australia’s inclusion in the Malabar series of exercises and if India assents, the two countries will be duly informed as per laid-down procedures, officials said.  The exercise in the Indian Ocean region this year was delayed due to coronavirus pandemic and will now be held towards the end of this year, they added.

Australia had made its intentions clear to join the exercise in 2017 and requested to be included as an observer.  However, the decision is pending since then given the strategic ramifications, sources said.  India did not include Australia in the exercises in 2018 and 2019.

 A spokesperson for Australia’s defense department has been quoted as saying, “Australia sees value in participating in quadrilateral defense activities in order to increase interoperability and advance our collective interests in a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”