Anti-China tactics of QUAD will not succeed against China Chinese foreign

Beijing: China has delivered a discourse to QUAD, ‘Countries should not form groups and factions, falling prey to the Cold War mentality and ideological biases. It will be better to make efforts for regional peace through unity.’ The meeting of QUAD between India, the United States, Japan and Australia was held recently. China expressed its expectations while giving its reaction. At the same time, China also levelled an accusation that some countries are trying to stall regional cooperation creating a bogey of the Chinese threat. The Chinese foreign ministry said that these tactics would not work against China.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently attended a virtual meeting. Thereafter, a US newspaper published a joint statement issued by the four leaders. The statement laid maximum stress on the freedom, stability and security of the Indo-Pacific sector. In other words, all four leaders seem to have expressed their resolve to unite against the Chinese threat. At the same time, it was also exposed after the meeting that the United States, Japan and Australia will be assisting India to prevent China from taking advantage of the vaccine for Coronavirus. As expected, an official reaction has been received from China.

Zhao Lijian, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, clarified his country’s stand in the matter. Lijian said that efforts should not be made to form groups and factions against a country in today’s times, harbouring the cold war mentality and ideological biases. Lijian claimed that this is an outdated ideology and will not succeed in these times of globalisation. At the same time, Lijian accused some countries of creating a bogey of the Chinese threat and trying to stall regional cooperation. Lijian claimed that these tactics would fail as they are against the flow of time. US Secretary for Defence, Lloyd Austin, had said that the United States would help smaller countries in the Indo-Pacific against the Chinese threat. Zhao Lijian expressed annoyance over the statement. Lijian said that the United States should adopt a more practical policy regarding China, and it will be in the interest of bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, China seems to be clearly feeling the pressure of QUAD. QUAD is not fully operational yet. The pressure felt by China despite that is significant. China has realised that more than military cooperation, QUAD’s economic cooperation will be more detrimental to Chinese interests. The cooperation offered by the QUAD members to India to increase the production of the vaccine for Corona will put a spoke in China’s wheel. China had an evil plot of enrolling smaller countries from the Indo-Pacific sector in the Belt Road Initiative, enticing them with the vaccine for Coronavirus. But the QUAD scheme is foiling its plot. China will face similar challenges, even in the future.

Currently, the Biden administration in the United States faces immense pressure from the opposition to adopt an aggressive stand against China. The effects are already visible, and the United States is holding Two-Plus-Two meets with Japan and South Korea after the QUAD meeting. At the same time, the US and Chinese leaders are scheduled to meet in Alaska on the 18th of March. Global Times claimed that the United States is holding talks with China’s competitors to exert pressure on China before the meeting. But the Chinese mouthpiece warned that these US tactics would not succeed.