QUAD is not NATO, Indian foreign minister replies to Chinese objection -

New Delhi: China had accused the QUAD alliance of India, the US, Japan and Australia of being an Asian NATO. Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar replied to the accusation. While NATO was a concept during the Cold War era, the QUAD is an organisation that shapes a better future of the world, Jaishankar said. Foreign Minister Jaishankar’s response to the Chinese objection on QUAD on the occasion of the first two-plus-two discussion between the Foreign and Defence Ministers of India and Australia is noteworthy.

These first two-plus-two talks between India and Australia are being held at a critical stage. The Taliban are coming to power in Afghanistan after the US-led military withdrawal. Taking advantage of this, China is saying that the United States is no longer a superpower and the United States has no power to protect its allies. China has warned Taiwan and other ASEAN member states that they have no choice but to accept its position through direct threats. Not even a country like Australia has been spared from this spate of threats from China.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has said that China poses a threat to Australian national security. Not only that, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently claimed that India could be the answer to every question that China poses to Australia. Abbott also said that India is a natural partner of Australia. At present, China is waging a trade war with Australia, and China has warned that this could turn into a real war. Against this backdrop, India’s two-plus-two talks with Australia are of great strategic importance.

In the wake of the talks, China lashed out at the QUAD, including India and Australia. China had accused QUAD of being an Asian NATO. The Indian Foreign Minister has responded to this objection. NATO was a concept that emerged during the Cold War. It cannot be compared to a QUAD because QUAD is an organisation that underlines the necessity of cooperation between countries in this age of globalisation. Jaishankar supported the QUAD, saying that the task of shaping the world’s future could be done through QUAD.

Meanwhile, the Global Times, China’s official mouthpiece, has lashed out at developing cooperation between India and Australia. After India’s nuclear tests in 1998, Australia imposed sanctions on India and relations between the two countries were strained. But now, the Global Times claims that China’s opposition has brought the two countries closer.

Despite this, the two countries have little to give to each other. China also does not need to worry about defence cooperation between the two countries, the Global Times quoted a Chinese analyst. But in reality, the evolving collaboration between India and Australia has clearly raised China’s concerns. China has become increasingly frustrated, especially after realising that India and Australia’s impending free trade agreement could hurt it.