In a landmark move, the premiers of India and Australia participated in the first virtual bilateral summit on June 05, 2020.
As part of the meet, Indian PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Scott Morrison signed nine bilateral agreements. These included the landmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).
However, the India-Australia bilateral ties did not sound good for China, as evident in a recent news report by a Chinese national media.
The Chinese Communist party’s media Global Times published a special coverage on Indo-Australia bilateral and defense ties.
Under MLSA, India and Australia agreed upon MLS to militaries of both sides, which is likely aimed at offering enhanced presence to Indian warships in the Pacific region.
Chinese media claims that the military deal is a joint effort to counter China.
“Yet after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, India seems to be worrying that its international status is declining while China’s influence is rising, especially in regions such as South Asia and Africa where India wishes to play an influential role. Therefore, its attitude toward China has to some extent changed,” the Global Times reported.
It said the new military partnership between India and Australia shapes a confrontational atmosphere and jeopardize peace and stability in the Pacific region.
This report by the Chinese media is coming at a time when India and China have recently ended the war of words on the border disputes.
After rounds of serious debate, the two sides had finally discussed cooperation and friendly ties in resolving border disputes.
The latest report by Chinese media creates a possibility for the two sides to start countering each other again!
However, that is purely dependent on how the Indian side reacts to this!
More India and China News:
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