New Delhi:Amid Chinese aggression and intending to foster relationships with most Southeast Asian Nations, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is all set to embark on a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers meeting-plus (ADMM-plus). Singh will not only attend the ASEAN meeting but will hold bilaterals with the leaders of the ASEAN countries. China is skipping the meeting.
ASEAN is becoming crucial both economically and strategically. Several ASEAN countries see China as a rival making the meeting significant. The Philippines has had a territorial dispute with China. Vietnam, on the other hand, has been a tough fight for China. India sees Vietnam as a strategic partner and is looking into boosting its relationship with the country. India has strong and stable ties with other ASEAN countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.
During the ASEAN defense ministers meeting, Rajnath Singh and his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto will discuss China and other regional issues. Talks will also focus on Quad Plus which means adding Indonesia to the Quad grouping apart from India, the US, Australia, and Japan will be pressed. Although, no concrete steps on this have been taken yet.
On the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus, Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of the participating countries and discuss defense cooperation matters to further strengthen mutually beneficial engagements.