The Status Quo And Trend Of India-Australia Relations Against The Background Of The US "Indo-Pacific Strategy"

Today,the US concept of “Indo-Pacific” has attracted worldwide attention.India and Australia,two important forces that influence the Indo-Pacific order,have been continuously strengthening their strategic interaction in this region.However,China has undergone severe changes in diplomatic relations with India,Australia and the US since Trump took office in 2017.Border issues occurring between troops from China and India in May 2020 and the “all-round strategic partnership” achieved by India and Australia after the bilateral virtual summit in June 2020 have been thought-provoking.Besides,the US-Japan-Australia-India Quadrilateral Dialogue Mechanism（Quad）was once again proposed as the pillar for the implementation of the Indo-Pacific strategy,whose purpose was to maintain the freedom and openness of the Indo-Pacific region,but the essence of which is to contain China’s growing influence in this region.Concerns over Chinese behavior among the four Quad nations have skyrocketed in recent years.India,Japan,Australia and the US all voiced frustration and anger with Beijing,respectively due to the bloody border disputes,maritime assertiveness,diplomatic and economic tussles,and the fledgling superpower rivalry.This thesis,hence,makes efforts to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth study on India-Australia relations against the background of the US Indo-Pacific strategy,give unprecedented insight to the latest trilateral relationship among China,Australia and India,make optimal judgment for the possible trend in the future,and offer practical and imperative advice for Chinese government to shape the surrounding environment for more peaceful and better development.The thesis starts from a brief overview of the rise of India after the Cold War,especially of its strategic policy from “Look East” to “Act East”,and the challenges India has been facing on its journey towards APEC membership,and focuses on the emergence and development of the “Indo-Pacific” concept.Besides,a detailed exploration of the development of India-Australia relations from contestation to cooperation is made.Research in this thesis has been endeavored to find the common interests and impetus,difficulties and challenges in India-Australia cooperation.In this thesis,evidence is provided to shed light on the US efforts to curb China’s growing influence with the help of its regional allies – Quad countries.China has always hoped to maintain and push forward the economic and trade relations with these nations.This thesis,hence,is devoted not only to presenting a detailed analysis of the status quo and trend of the India-Australia relations against the background of the US Indo-Pacific strategy,which could be conducive for people to make sound judgments,but also to raising some useful strategic reflections on China to alleviate current tensions with these countries.It is expected that the suggestions could be helpful to understanding and dealing with the current issues so as to promote China-India and China-Australia relations.