India maintains silence as China fumes over AUKUS

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday opted to maintain a studied silence on the creation of a new security partnership by Australia, the UK and the US, apparently due to sensitivities related to the strategic situation in the region and ties with key partners.

The new alliance called AUKUS was unveiled by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden against the backdrop of China’s assertive actions across the Indo-Pacific, and its first initiative is aimed at equipping Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

China strongly criticised the trilateral partnership, saying it would severely damage regional security and spark an arms race. France was angered by Australia’s decision to scrap a $90-billion programme to build 12 French-designed submarines and instead opt for nuclear-powered vessels.

People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that India did not want to be seen as embracing a new security alliance that is a counter to China’s assertive actions, especially at a time when New Delhi and Beijing are engaged in a dragging military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that is not close to being fully resolved.

At the same time, India is sensitive to the concerns of France, a key strategic and defence partner that has supplied advanced military hardware such as the Rafale combat jets, the people said. Asked about the launch of AUKUS at a regular media briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “I do not have anything to share on this at this moment, on AUKUS or related stuff.”

The new partnership was launched days ahead of the first in-person summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad in Washington on September 24. The meeting, being held six months after the maiden virtual Quad Summit, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Australian Prime Minister Morrison and US President Biden. On Wednesday, Australia’s top leadership spoke to their Indian counterparts to brief them about the launch of AUKUS. Modi said in a tweet he and Morrison had “exchanged perspectives on regional developments” and the upcoming Quad Summit. Australian foreign minister Marise Payne made a phone call to her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, while defence minister Peter Dutton spoke to his counterpart Rajnath Singh.