Hyderabad:India, which was subjected to absurd sanctions in the wake of the Pokhran nuclear test, was soon able to move forward slowly with strategic partnership agreements with all the top countries, thanks to the mature political diplomacy of Vajpayee. His remark that getting closer to one country does not mean moving away from another sounds the true spirit of non-alignment. Within two decades of the new millennium, the geopolitical climate has changed significantly. In countries that have been successful in helping the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the idea of systematizing that cooperation has sprouted.
The then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe's aspiration that the Hindu and Pacific ocean coastal countries with the 'vision' of freedom and prosperity should form a 'team' was highlighted in the 2006 joint statement of Delhi and Tokyo. However, during the preliminary consultation phase of 2007 itself, the attempt was thwarted by Beijing with queries and objections. After so many years, now, not only the US, Japan, India and Australia's Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the QUAD) has been formed but also the stage is set for the Malabar naval manoeuvres of the four countries in a fortnight.
The Trump administration, which has dubbed the Asia-Pacific region as Indo-Pacific, in its 2017 National Security Strategy Document has cracked down on Chinese aggressive attitude. While Beijing has criticized Washington for preparing to form an 'Asian NATO' alliance, China's high handed behaviour has prompted the latest cooperative activism between India and Australia. While China, the largest trading partner of the 'QUAD' member states, has opened up the latest geopolitical rivalry with the Cold War ideology, the United States hopes to build a quad-alliance to counter Beijing's aggression. India must be careful not to become a scapegoat in this mesh of strategies.