Last Updated: Monday, 3 September 2007, 12:08 GMT 13:08 UK
New 'Strategic Partnership' against China
BBC News
Ships, aircraft and submarines from four countries begin week-long war games in the Bay of Bengal on 4 September.
It is the first flexing of muscles by the newly-formed "Quadrilateral Initiative", which brings together the US, Japan, India and Australia.
Singapore also has a small presence in the exercises.
Many analysts see the manoeuvres as efforts by a democratic coalition to "contain" rising Chinese power.
Although the participants deny this, Beijing seems to be increasingly worried.
Beijing unconvinced
When the four powers set up the initiative (informally named the Quad) in Manila last May, a deeply-concerned Beijing sent formal protests to the four governments.
Quad members reassured China that their "strategic partnership" was only aimed at maintaining regional security, and was not targeting any particular power.
A month later, Chinese President Hu Jintao sought clarification from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the G8 summit in Germany. Although he received reiterations of peace and friendship, Chinese commentary suggests Beijing was not convinced.
Dubbed Malabar 07-02, these are the biggest joint manoeuvres Indian warships have participated in.
They were preceded by extensive discussions in Delhi.
In July, Australia's Defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, set out the policy framework of defence collaboration.
A month later, Admiral Russell Shalders, commander of the Australian navy, visited India - to work out the mechanics of collaboration and the details of the exercises.
Just days later, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Delhi, offering substantial economic and commercial assistance if India agreed to anchor "an Asian arc of freedom" stretching across the Indian and Pacific Oceans and providing a democratic bulwark - presumably against non-democratic powers.
Defence coalition
As Mr Abe prepared to leave, his Defence Minister, Yoriko Koike, and the Commander of US Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy Keating, arrived in Delhi, to finalise details of defence co-operation and Malabar 07-02.
This flurry of senior-level exchanges and the size and complexity of the manoeuvres add weight to the arguments of those who say that the Quad is rapidly gelling into a defence coalition.
Two US aircraft carriers and one from India, as well as 11 other US ships will join more than a dozen vessels from India, Australia and Singapore to test out how well they can work together against common threats.
Although Quad members insist China has nothing to fear, a similar exercise (Malabar 07-01) involving US, Indian and Japanese warships churned the waters of the South China Sea in April.
Bilateral war games are not new for Quad members, but there seems recently to have been a new momentum.
Defence papers issued by all four governments have described China as a potential threat, and that combined with the launch of the Quad suggest a pattern of alliance-building activities that China cannot ignore.
Perhaps as a sign of things to come, 1,600 Chinese troops travelled to Russia's Ural mountains to join several thousand mostly Russian troops in "Peace Mission 2007" manoeuvres in August.
These ended as President Vladimir Putin hosted Hu and the presidents of four other Shanghai Co-operation Organisation countries (after their annual summit in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek) at the closing ceremony.
Mr Putin then announced the resumption of long-range bomber sorties towards Nato airspace, which had been suspended after the Soviet collapse.
The Cold War may not be back, but with trade and security tensions rising between the US, China and Russia, a chill wind seems to be blowing as Asia redesigns its strategic alignments.=========================================================================
That was the news write-up I took the liberty to lift wholesale from the BBC Online News.
I could not believe my eyes when I read this news. Immediately, the obvious question came into my mind: "Singapore is part of the bigger scheme of things with intention to go against China? "
And my next questions followed:
"Where are we heading to?"
"Are we so bold and daring to openly be seen or suspected as colluding with bigger powers (US, Australia, Japan and India) to go against China's interest?"
"Why are we buying 24% of China's Eastern Airline then?"
There are many more questions. This incident is really shocking to me. However, I do not wish to comment upon it any further at this juncture. Let us watch and see what further developments would be forthcoming in the near future. This is getting really exciting .....
The Garuda - 4th September 2007.
6 comments:
garuda, I am simply intrigue by the wide ranging topics that You have writtened so far. I should say I am more intrigue by your thinkings. As I tend to get into uncontrolled pondering moods from time to time, I tend to believe I am not myself, as an autonomous entity, but a creature of Nature. And as such I am subjected to the calls of Nature into those thinking processes. Can I ask if You have ever felt liked I did? Btw, I was(am) thinking of the military joint exercises happening around Asia and find it perplexing that a micro mini country is involved in Middle East conflict and now Asia military exercise. I just cannot resist wondering what it is trying to prove but sad to say, I do not have the slightest inkling. May I take this opportunity to thank You for the rides on your articles; best wishes from scb.
Hi, SCB, I believe you are a widely read person. With years of reading, as one's knowledge widens, one's interests also widens; and if one simultaneously let go of one's ego and immerse into the feelings of the surrounding, one becomes a part of Nature.
I am interested in a very wide variety of subjects, but I write spontaneously what my conscience tells me to do, i.e. what my Heart 'thinks', not how my Brain 'feels'.
My perception is that the poison shrimp is trying to rub shoulders with the Super Power, in order to get into its strategic area of influence. At the same time, it is also hypocritically wooing China for economic reasons. This double game is a dangerous play.
While Malaysia is helping China to secure her strategic oil supply line, Spore is ganging up with US, India and Japan to block China's life line. In a conflict between Malaysia and Spore, who do you think China will support?
A strategic thought is dependent upon the brain, while miscalculations always come from the heart, not the brain. The heart will always be the superior gateway to the mysteries of the universe, not the brain.
Cheers!
The Garuda.
Garuda, could not agree more with your reading of the Issue. Should I surprise You with my opinion that when it comes to sincere friendships between nations, Malaysia has (I think) always and consistently show greater respect to China than Singapore. It is glaring to everybody, due to its' very superficial nature of manoeuvres, that Singapore is taking a ride on Chinas' great economic progress lately. As for political relationships between Sino-Sin, I suppose it does not matter the slightest to China whether this 'snort' of a country exist. Dare I say that even if this whole Island is given to the American for military use, it will not frighten the Chinese and Soviet. Common sense will tell that Indonesia, Malaysia and some Asean Members may not remain friendly whence an alliance of that nature takes place. Any move by Singapore that is not acceptable to its'(Sin) neighbouring nations could be disastrous, me thinks it is getting dangerous. Incidentally a Chinese Proverb comes to mind; 'yuancing bu ru qingling', literally: (close-physical)neighbours are closer than far (related familiarly) relatives. It means that people(countries) physically nearer matter far more than those related(familiarly) situated far away physically(and hence emotionally and spiritually). In any case it is always inferior for one lacking principle and with a propensity to look for gains without consideration for self respect. Imagine a highly talented man without principle and self respect and how lamentable he becomes. Sorry for so much loso(nag); from scb.
Scb, you are right to point out that neighbours are more important than far away relations. However, the sad thing is that the seed of animosity has been planted so deep that every opportunity is seized to advance one's own survivalist, competitive interest, under the guise of pragmatism, instead of long-term peaceful co-operation and eventual merger.
Take for example, the Iskanda Project, 3 times the size of Spore, though initiated by Badawi, falls nicely into Spore's strategic objective. Dr Mahathir smells something. That is why even before he went for his heart surgery, he had given a full interview to raise the warning to Badawi and the Umyes (or Umno). If this IDR is within the design of Spore, what Mahathir says will come true, i.e. the Malaysian and Spore Chinese would own majority of the place and the Malays would be 'ousted' into the rural areas. That would create friction, which would lead to racial problems, which would lead to SAF being called upon to protect the Spore people and properties within JB, which means Malaysia would have to secede JB to Spore, like what had happened to the Golan Height during the Six Days War in 1967.
From the way things have been going on for the past 42 years, I perceive that a war with Malaysia is inevitable; it is only a matter of time. Mahathir can see way ahead what Spore's Master Mind is thinking. He is old but not blind.
P/S: Badawi could be playing a different game altogether, i.e. slowly, slowly catch the monkey and his peanuts as well.
The Garuda.
Very well deciphered, however I do not see a Israel in South East Asia or for the matter, the whole of Asia. Personally, I do not even see a gestating one. To digress a little; I do see the US under the leadership of cowboy Bush getting itself into more difficulties and the difficulties exacerbating each day, just personal opinion; from scb.
garuda; please allow me to add that pragmatism if adopt and applied with integrity is fine. I find your 'thinkings with the heart', 'feelings with the brain' very classic. Can I say the best will be for both the heart and mind to coordinate in the whole 'decision process' for wholesomeness; thank You from scb.
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