Historic exercise of the ‘diamond quartet’ | World



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Yesterday, India announced that Australia would participate in the annual Malabar naval exercise scheduled for November. Therefore, the Malabar exercise in 2020 no longer only the India-US-Japan sides, but has fully participated in the “diamond quartet” to mark a historic turning point in the cooperation of the four countries. this.

Not just revival

Comment on this development by answering Youth On October 20, Dr. Satoru Nagao (Hudson Research Institute, USA) analyzed that the above development is highly symbolic, but at the same time very important to the “diamond quartet” for the following reasons.

First, this is the result of long-term efforts. First conducted in 1992, the Malabar drills initially included only the US and India. From 1992 to 1998, the Malabar exercise was carried out three times and was later suspended by the United States due to India’s nuclear weapons test. It was not until 2002, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, that the US administration of President George Bush resumed the exercise of Malabar.

In 2007, the exercise involved Australia, Japan and Singapore, but after Australia stopped participating, Japan added several subsequent exercises. Since 2015, Japan has only participated in the full annual Malabar exercises each year. And coming here to add Australia to the full “quartet”.
Second, the entire “diamond quartet” participating in the Malabar exercise is not just a “revival” of an old activity considering the reality of 2020 and 2007. Specifically, in 2007, after the Four, along with the drills Malabar of Singapore, the concept of “diamond quartet” was coined by the Prime Minister of Japan at the time, Mr. Abe Shinzo. However, at this time, the “China risk” has not been taken seriously in many countries.

Amid such a backdrop, the aftermath of strong criticism from Beijing and the impact of the new administration’s policy in Australia under then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appear to have caused Canberra to withdraw from the Malabar exercises. Perhaps Australia had perceived that it was more risky to pressure China than to ignore Chinese behavior.

But 2020 is different, the perception has changed. Starting in 2012, in an article, Abe Shinzo, who had just returned to the post of prime minister of Japan, had to admit that he himself in 2007 did not fully imagine the pace of military development and corruption. China’s territorial expectations.
Now, Beijing has committed many disruptive acts to fulfill its sovereignty ambitions, for example, Beijing continues to try to monopolize the South China Sea, despite the rulings of the international arbitral tribunal. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, China took advantage of the situation to mess with many neighboring countries.

This fact causes the “diamond quartet” to strengthen cooperation. And all four countries are participating in the Malabar exercise this year marked by increased cooperation. Therefore, compared to fiscal 2007, Malabar’s motivation for cooperation in this exercise was stronger and clearer.

Third, the upcoming Malabar drills could strengthen cooperation in the “diamond quartet” strengthened by Beijing’s aggression. Recently, Washington has set itself the expectation of institutionalizing the “quartet of diamonds” to shape an alliance such as “Asian NATO”, so that the next exercises will give shape in part to this objective.

Strengthen military agreements

To date, the four members of the quartet have signed bilateral agreements on “Acquisition and mutual services” (ACSA) or agreement on “Logistical support” (LEMOA). The two agreements are the same, allowing the armies of the participating countries to access each other’s military bases, help with refueling, share logistics and transportation (including air transport). ), comunication system…

Not only that, the Agreement on the exchange of military intelligence (G-SOMIA) has also been signed bilaterally between countries: United States – Japan, United States – India, United States – Australia, Japan – India. Japan and Australia do not have a bilateral agreement similar to G-SOMIA, but the Pentagon intelligence alliance (which includes the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand) has an intelligence cooperation agreement with Japan. On the basis of this cooperative framework, Tokyo and Canberra can share intelligence.
In the near future, October 26-27, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will travel to India for 2 + 2 talks with two of the host counterparts. Therefore, Washington and New Delhi are expected to sign a Maritime Information Technology Exchange Agreement (MISTA). In addition to the G-SOMIA agreement, MISTA will strengthen cooperation in the exchange of military information, especially at sea, between the United States and India.

Therefore, along with the joint quadripartite exercise, the “diamond quartet” is strengthening military cooperation with many valuable agreements.

The United States, Japan and Australia exercise in the South China Sea

Yesterday, the United States Navy announced that the destroyer USS John S. McCain and the ship JS Kirisame (Japan) and the ship HMAS Arunta (Australia) conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea on October 19. On October 13, the United States Navy announced that two American ships, the destroyer USS John McCain and the tanker USNS Tippecanoe, would be training with two Japanese warships in the South China Sea beginning October 12.

Before that, on October 15, McCain also practiced with the USS Ronald Reagan carrier group in the South China Sea. This is the third time that Reagan ships have operated in the South China Sea this year.

I saw tran

China exercises to shoot live bullets in the Gulf of Tonkin

The Hai Nam Provincial Department of Maritime Affairs (HMSA – China) has just released two notices saying that China has conducted a live-fire exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin from October 18-21. Specifically, HMSA announced on October 17 to conduct a real-time shooting exercise in an area limited by 4 coordinate points located in the northwestern part of Hainan Island from October 18 to 19 and prohibited the entry of ships into this area. On the afternoon of October 19, HMSA announced again about the real-time shooting exercise in the same area on October 20-21.

Both advertisements indicated a training time of 6 to 19 hours a day (local time). The training area is limited by 4 specific coordinate points, which according to calculations based on the Google Earth application, cover an area of ​​more than 1,200 km.two, with the closest point about 17 km from Hainan Island.

Khanh An




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