Australia Bringing India Into Strategic, Economic 1st Tier | StratNews Global interview
On 鈥楾alking Point鈥�,聽Peter N. Varghese AO, in discussion with StratNews Global Associate Editor聽Amitabh P. Revi.
鈥淭he Australia-India relationship has got a very bright future because it is increasingly based on hard interest,鈥� Canberra鈥檚 former top diplomat says, adding, 鈥渨e鈥檙e well on our way鈥� to bringing 鈥淚ndia into the first tier of Australia鈥檚 relationships on the strategic and economic point of view. Economically, maybe it鈥檚 slower but we鈥檒l get there.鈥�
Though 鈥淐hina鈥檚 own behavior has linked a measure of unity to the Quad, that it never had before,鈥� Ambassador Varghese believes 鈥渨e can still stop short of a second Cold War, but I suspect it will involve these twin strategies of both engaging and constraining China. On the Australia-UK-U.S.(AUKUS) strategic partnership, he says, 鈥� it鈥檚 not that an alliance isn鈥檛 crucial for the overall security of Australia, (but), we should be basing our thinking on the capacity to defend ourselves without the combat assistance of the United States.鈥�
In this comprehensive chat, the former Foreign Secretary also analyses France鈥檚 鈥渂ruised feelings鈥�, 鈥渃ollective pushback鈥�, 鈥渟trategic equilibrium in the Indo-Pacific鈥�, what if China 鈥渃rosses red lines鈥�, 鈥渢he 700,000 strong Indian diaspora as cultural and business navigators鈥�, why he鈥檚 sceptical of 鈥渁iming towards an early harvest trade deal鈥� in the search for a CECA(Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement), the 鈥渉uge U.S. mistake鈥� on the TPP(Trans Pacific Partnership) and TPP Mark 2 or the CPTPP.
The current Chancellor of the University of Queensland also gives his perspective on Chinese influence in Australia鈥檚 educational institutions and 鈥� the mechanisms in place to enable warning bells to ring.鈥�
originally published on 8 October 2021.