The South Block has packaged the ritual foray by naval ships in the Indo-Pacific into a flag-waving exercise in South China Sea. Indian warships are similarly engaged in the Gulf. Will this hype be carried over to Modi's US visit?

Indian naval helicopers rehearsing for the International Fleet review in Visakhapatnam in February this year. President Pranab Mukherjee reviewed a fleet of 70 naval ships, including several from foreign countries. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes his fourth visit to the US this June. His joint address to the US Senate and the Congress is being touted as a major milestone in India-US ties. But several developments in the region should dampen his enthusiasm to go ahead with the burgeoning maritime partnership with the US, intended to corral China's growing influence in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific. 

The keenness among the quartet forged by the US to accomplish this purpose has started waning. It all began with the dethroning of Tony Abott as Australian Prime Minister, who like Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, were willing partners for the move to divide responsibility in the oceans girding China as well as washing up their shores. 

Abott's replacement, Malcolm Turnbull has sent the first signal that while Australia will leave no stone unturned to guard its periphery, it would not like it to be misinterpreted in China. Much against popular anticipation among local think tanks, Turnbull decided to upend Japanese plans to mark their first foray into defence exports. The mouthwatering contract for a dozen submarines instead went to France with no stakes in the region after it was drummed out decades back from what was called Indo-China. The US-Japanese ploy to involve Australia into a deeper military embrace, of the kind being attempted with India, remains stillborn.