Australia vows to deepen defence ties with India, increase engagement in Indian Ocean

Australia has said that it will work towards forging deeper defence ties with India and focus on the strategic Indian Ocean, where China is "rapidly" expanding its footprints.

Addressing the Western Australian Indo-Pacific Conference in Perth on Monday, Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said, "The Indian Ocean has not always received the same level of attention in our strategic thinking as the Pacific Ocean. Australia has tended to see itself as a Pacific Ocean state."
Pointing to the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 to signify how little is known about the Indian Ocean, Reynolds said, "We cannot moderate behaviour in our region, without being able to monitor and track what is occurring above and below its surface."