Foreign and defence ministers of India, Australia, Indonesia to meet amid concerns over China

India, Australia and Indonesia are set to hold two virtual meetings of their foreign and defence ministers to bolster regional cooperation and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, people familiar with developments said on Wednesday.
The meetings will be held against the backdrop of China’s increasingly aggressive actions across the region, ranging from the border standoff with India to territorial claims in the South China Sea backed by the concentration of military assets.
The meetings have been in the works for some time and the video conference of the foreign ministers – S Jaishankar, Marise Payne of Australia and Retno Marsudi of Indonesia – is expected later this month, and will be followed by the meeting of defence ministers, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
“This is a fast moving trilateral with the defence and foreign ministers expected to meet over the next couple of months. All three countries have a shared interest in an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” one of the people said.