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….[Full Text]
[Image: China is wary over closer defence ties of its neighbours, via BBC]