The Australian government is open to discussing an informal naval coalition with Japan, the US and India, according to the Australian defense ministry. 

The coalition was first suggested by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, but plans for initial talks were quickly abandoned by both India and Australia amid strong protests from China.  The commander of US forces in the Pacific Admiral Harry Harris revived calls for the four-country dialogues in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Like Us on Facebook

"The Australian government has a range of formal and informal mechanisms to consult with close partners and we maintain an open mind about possible new consultative arrangements," Australian defense minister Marise Payne said of Harris' proposal.

No Joint Patrols, says India

This developed as India's defense minister Manohar Parrikar squarely dismissed the idea of conducting joint naval patrols with the US. Some analysts have suggested the rejection is indicative of the Modi administration's sentiments toward a naval coalition with the US, Japan and Australia, as well.  

"Our viewpoint will come to you if we at all consider any such thing from our side," Parrikar told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.

Australia nonetheless appears to have moved forward with plans to strengthen its defense ties with Japan, despite China's warnings. 

Experts say the Australian government is increasingly likely to accept Japan's offer to build modified Soryu Class submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had earlier warned the Turnbull government against forging closer defense ties with Tokyo, saying Canberra should take into account Japanese aggression during the Second World War. 

France and Germany have also tendered bids for Australia's multi-billion dollar submarine project, which seeks to double Australia's current submarine fleet.   

Australian experts say Tokyo enjoys an edge over its European competitors as Canberra's decision on the three bids is likely to be contingent on the political substance of Australia's recently issued Defense White Paper (DWP).

"The DWP strongly stresses the importance of further strengthening US-Japanese defense relations and is also quite vocal about China's challenge to the rules-based order in maritime Asia," Ben Schreer, a professor at Sydney's Macquarie University, told the Japan Times.

Secret Technologies

Canberra has reportedly allotted as much as $36 billion for its submarine order, prompting an increasingly attractive offer from Japan.   Japanese state minister for defense Kenji Wakamiya recently said Japan will share its top secret submarine stealth technology with Australia should it be awarded the contract.

"It is of major importance to us that we will be sharing this secret technology with Australia," Wakamiya said during an interview with The Australian earlier this week.

Australian leaders had earlier decided to use American combat systems on the new submarines, reportedly because the classified US weapons platform practically guarantees a long-term technological partnership with top US defense contractors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.  

The US is, meanwhile, keen to see stronger defense partnerships between Australia and Japan as Washington works to build regional support for its naval operations against China's claims of sovereignty over much of the South China Sea.

The US recently sailed what observers have described as "a small armada" into the hotly contested Asian waterway.

The US Navy's super carrier USS John C. Stennis, two destroyers, two cruisers and the flagship of the US 7th Fleet -- the USS Blue Ridge -- all sailed into the South China Sea over the course of four days earlier this week.

When asked by the press on Friday to comment on the presence of the US warships in the region, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China respects the principle of freedom of navigation and over-flight under which the US carrier strike group is apparently operating.

"We hope the US side can exercise its freedom of navigation and over-flight in accordance with the law and commit no violation of international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea," Hong said.

TagsChina-Australia relations, China-Japan relations, Marise Payne