The proposal is understood to have been discussed at the government level, too, with Canberra suggesting that its trilateral parleys with New Delhi and Washington would complement the dialogue among the US, India and Japan. New Delhi, however, has been cold to the proposal, as it is understood to be wary that such a move might provoke strong reactions from China.
India’s Observer Research Foundation, America’s Heritage Foundation and Australia’s Lowy Institute for International Policy recently released a report that suggested that the US, India and Australia should begin an official trilateral dialogue on broad foreign policy, strategic and governance issues across the India-Pacific region, including South-East Asia and South Pacific.
The report, titled “Shared Goals, Converging Interests: A Plan for US-Australia-India Cooperation in Indo-Pacific,” also recommended that New Delhi, Washington DC and Canberra should coordinate on defence issues, particularly on enhancing cooperation on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; develop trilateral initiatives for keeping the Indian Ocean; start a dialogue on counter-terrorism; coordinate more closely on global nonproliferation challenges and in relevant regional forums, to promote effective democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific.
“The US, Australia and India share a range of interests that will grow with economic development and changing power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. The three countries should explore their common interests,” said the report.
