Jun 02, 2026

Days after the Quad foreign ministers' meeting, India and Australia have agreed to deepen cooperation on maritime surveillance and undersea monitoring in a commitment toward what they described as a "free and prosperous Indo-Pacific," media reported on Monday. A Chinese expert noted on Tuesday that such a move intends to promote bloc-based alignment of regional waters under the banner of a "free and prosperous Indo-Pacific," which in reality serves as military deployments, intelligence sharing and maritime surveillance, pushing a shift that runs counter to the prevailing development aspirations of regional economies.

India and Australia agreed to coordinate activities involving maritime patrol aircraft and explore opportunities to enhance undersea awareness, according to a joint statement issued Monday. The announcement came during Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles's visit to India for the second India-Australia Defense Ministers' Dialogue with his counterpart, Rajnath Singh, the Bloomberg reported.

The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to a "free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific" and pledged to work more closely with regional partners. They further "underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, and their strong support for unimpeded trade in the region," the report said.

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