New Delhi: In a powerful show of unity, four top-ranking naval officers of India, the US, Japan and Australia — seen as the proposed “quadrilateral” — shared the stage at the Raisina Dialogue conference in the Capital, with Commander of the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris openly calling China a “disruptive transitional force in the Indo-Pacific region”.
The top naval officers sharing the stage included Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan, Admiral Katsu-toshi Kawano and Australian Naval chief Vice-Admiral Tim Barrett. Admiral Lanba said that India had been “assured” (by Sri Lanka) that it would not allow Chinese naval presence at Hambantota port.
Raisina meet, a message to China
“There will be no Chinese naval presence at Hambantota, we have been assured of that,” Indian Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, said. India has been especially concerned about the movement of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean.
Speaking in another session, foreign secretary S. Jaishankar referred to the “Rise of China” as a “disruption” but said in some ways it was positive, adding that China had been the “motivator” for India in some aspects and had “opened up the international order”.
The proposed “Quad” countries have said they are committed to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and have already held consultations with each other. But the move has been seen by observers as an attempt to counter Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. The session attended by top naval officers of the four countries was on the subject “Unchartered waters: In search for order in the Indo-Pacific”.
But the fact that they shared the stage at the Raisina Dialogue — organised by the Observer Research Foundation along with the ministry of external affairs — seen as a message to China. Admiral Kawano of Japan too said an attempt was being made to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region, leaving no doubt as to which country he was referring to.
