Beijing [China], October 4 (ANI): The longstanding issues of Quad nations with China and the growing concerns of an emerging strategic shift in the Indo-Pacific region have made the bloc send out veiled messages to China while also upholding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, something the grouping has mentioned in its joint statement, media reports said.
Be it India, US, Australia and Japan, all Quad members hold historic issues with an ambitious China which is trying to pursue its expansionist goals. First up is India. India and China have several points of contention along the 2,167-mile Sino-Indian border, reported The Diplomat. Relations between China with the other Quad members are also at a tight spot. When it comes to Japan, there is an ongoing dispute over the sovereignty of the Japanese-administered Senkaku and Diaoyu islands. China makes claims that these islands are part of its territory, reported The Diplomat.
Next is Australia. Solomon Island’s security deal with China has irked Australia. Australia is wary of a close alignment of Solomon Island with China. And the last Quad member is the US, the world’s oldest democracy. US and China are at daggers drawn over the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. The US has been sending out clear messages that if there is any change in the status quo in Taiwan, the country will use its military might.
China, on the other hand, claims that Taiwan is, was and will always remain its part. All of these long-standing issues of China with the Quad members firmly direct the individual attention of each Quad nation’s military toward China. All of these historic disputes and emerging strategic concerns have posed a threat to the maintenance of the status quo and must be considered potential catalysts for future conflict, reported The Diplomat.
One another thing is the observation there is a significant disparity in the military capabilities of China and Taiwan and that is why one is left wondering just how much the small island could resist the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Ladakh, on the other hand, is part of a Quad nation, demarcated only by a Line of Actual Control drawn in the wake of the sole conflict fought between India and China.
Quad, just like NATO, is using this forum and has long been voicing its intent on encouraging greater cooperation between the four democratic member countries of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. There have been multiple areas where the Quad countries have been engaging themselves with the most recent heads of government summit in May 2022.
The joint statement which was released after the Quad meeting made clear their engagements not only militarily but also in mutual steps taken in the supply of COVID-19 vaccines and addressing climate concerns. The bloc hopes to collaborate in diversified areas to form a close alliance and restrain China to dominate the world stage. (ANI)
