Widening horizons: Australia’s new relationship with India

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has today released its latest report, which looks at India’s emergence from the strategic shadows to take its place as a great Asian power.  The report examines the effects this will have on the strategic architecture of Asia and the challenges facing Australia in developing the relationship between the two countries.

The report is authored by Sandy Gordon, a specialist in South Asian security studies, intelligence, terrorism and transnational crime.  Dr Gordon is Associate Professor at the Centre for Transnational Crime Prevention, University of Wollongong. 

Given India’s rise as a significant Indian Ocean and Asian power, Australia has pressing reasons for developing a more secure platform for a lasting relationship.

Dr Gordon sees Canberra’s challenge as twofold.  It needs to find productive ways to progress the relationship that differentiate Australia from the US.  And it needs to avoid perceptions that Australia is ‘choosing’ between India and China.  Both requirements suggest a greater focus on matters of bilateral concern that are not, in the main, military in nature.  In meeting the challenge, Australia will have to deal with a raft of policy considerations such as India’s potential membership of APEC and the possible sale of Australian uranium to India. 

He concludes ‘India is currently basking in its emergent large power status and the relationship with Australia is not its top priority.  But the relationship has a promising future, and it is likely that the two countries will move towards some form of closer partnership in the coming decade.’