India opted out of a significant naval exercise in the Indian Ocean involving BRICS nations—Russia, China, Iran, and South Africa—due to strategic considerations regarding Beijing. Despite being invited, India’s absence reflects a deliberate political choice, emphasizing cautious defense relations amid ongoing tension with China.
Russia, China, Iran and South Africa. All BRICS countries, but no India. Keeping in mind Beijing, India chose not to be involved in this Indian Ocean naval exercise, which began last week off the coast of Durban, South Africa.
It is a biggish exercise, involving two Russian warships, three Chinese ships, in the Indian Ocean as part of the 48th Anti Piracy Escort Task Force, two Iranian frigates and three South African vessels. The Russian warships include the 7,000 tonne Marshal Shaposhnikov, the destroyer/frigate and a tanker, while the Chinese ships are the 7,000 tonne Tangshan, a new guided missile destroyer, the 4,000 tonne Daqing, a guided missile frigate and the Taihu, a supply ship. The Iranian Navy has contributed two frigates and the South Africans, shree warships, including an offshore patrol vessel.
India, of course, was invited, the South Africans being the lead country here, but not accepting was a “considered political decision,” highly placed sources said. While India-China ties have improved and Prime Minister Narendra Modi did visit China in August-September this year for the SCO or Shanghai Cooperation organisation summit, where he met Chinese leader Xi Jin Ping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and closer cooperation is visible in areas like business and tourism, there is a conscious decision to restrict defence cooperation till there is a political breakthrough.
The Chinese have been keen to suggest more visits and exercises, but the Indian side remains hesitant. The situation along the line of actual control has improved, but it is not where things were, when it comes to positioning of troops before the Galwan clashes in the summer of 2020.