Does China see ‘containment’ as Asia-Pacific allies build defence ties?

Beijing is likely to view the growing defence cooperation between India, South Korea and Australia as a strategic effort to contain China in the Indo-Pacific, according to analysts.

They said closer defence ties between the three reflected concerns over a possible security vacuum in case the United States reduced its military presence in the region.

The Indian naval vessel Sahyadri docked at Busan naval port in South Korea on October 13, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of Defence.

The vessel was there to take part in the first joint bilateral exercise between the Indian and South Korean navies, the ministry said on October 14, describing it as “the culmination of years of discussions and planning”.

The exercise was part of India’s “ongoing operational deployment to the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific”, the statement said.

Sahyadri is a Shivalik-class guided missile stealth frigate designed by India and commissioned in 2012.