Sunday’s Mainichi ran an interview with Australian Ambassador to Japan Richard Court, who noted that his government is open to the idea of having the Australian Navy participate in a the Malabar trilateral maritime exercise between the U.S., Japan, and India. Noting that the trilateral drill is conducive to ensuring regional stability and in line with the free and open Indo-Pacific initiative, the Australian diplomat underscored that deepening Canberra’s defense ties with the three partners would be “extremely valuable.” The daily explained that it would be the first time in 13 years for the Australian Navy to participate in Malabar, and projected that China would react sharply to such a move.