Context

China has alleged that the United States is attempting to create an “Indo – Pacific NATO” by collaborating with the Quad and its allied nations.

What is China’s Concern?

China compared the Quad, which includes the U.S, Australia, India, and Japan, to the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, consisting of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., along with the AUKUS (Australia-U.K.-U.S.) defense agreement due to:

• The United States is enhancing its collaboration within the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.
• The United States is actively promoting the Quad partnership.
• The United States is forging a strong security partnership through AUKUS.
• Quad member countries are strengthening their individual military alliances.

China has stated that the primary aim of the Indo-Pacific strategy is to create a counterpart in the Indo-Pacific region similar to NATO.

Quad as the ‘Indo-Pacific NATO’

The QUAD’s growing prominence is closely linked to China’s expanding influence and its more assertive foreign policy approach.

All Quad members see China Sceptically:

• India: Following border clashes with China and China’s enduring alliance with Pakistan, India has adopted a more confident and flexible approach to international relationships.
• Australia: Australia has grown increasingly wary of Chinese influence within its borders, leading to a significant shift in its policy towards China.
• Japan: Japan expresses deep concern about China’s growing assertiveness, particularly in the East China Sea and around the Senkaku/Diaoyu Dao Islands.
• USA: The United States has recognized China as an “adversary” and initiated a trade war with the country.

Still, it’s essential to understand that the Quad isn’t structured like NATO, primarily because it doesn’t have a mutual defense agreement in place.

Suggestions

In the future, The Quad should consider collaborating with additional regional partners such as South Korea and New Zealand.

Conclusion

China sees the Quad group as an Asian counterpart to NATO, but in practice, it differs significantly from NATO. The Quad doesn’t have a formal treaty, an organizational structure, or a secretariat. Instead, it focuses on diverse areas of collaboration, including vaccines, technology, and maritime security.

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