New Delhi: In a move that could send shivers down the spine of dragon, a plan is afoot to create a NATO alliance in The Indian Pacific region. If the proposal proceeds as expected, it will have US, Indian, Japan and Australia as key members while few others like Vietnam may also join.
A couple of small nations including Vietnam, Combodia are livid over China’s expansionist designs posing a threat to their territorial sovereignty and thus would be willing to join any big alliance to contain its increasing dominance in the region.
US Deputy Secretary of State, Stephen Biegun has said that the United States seeks to formalise its closer defence ties with countries of the India-Pacific region — India, Japan and Australia — similar to something like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) with an aim to counter China.
He said that Washington’s aim is to get the grouping of four countries and others in the region to work together as a bulwark against “a potential challenge from China”, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun made the comments at the third India-US Leadership Summit organised virtually by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) Yesterday.
“The Indo-Pacific region is actually lacking in strong multilateral structures. They do not have anything of the fortitude of NATO or the European Union. The strongest institutions in Asia oftentimes are not, I think, not inclusive enough and so … there is certainly an invitation there at some point to formalise a structure like this,” Biegun said.
“Remember, even NATO started with relatively modest expectations and a number of countries (initially) chose neutrality over NATO membership,” he added.
Biegun said the grouping of four countries are expected to meet in New Delhi this autumn and cited Australia’s possible participation in India’s Malabar naval exercise as an example of progress towards a formal defence bloc, according to SCMP.
The naval exercises have been conducted by the US and India since 1992 and mostly takes place in the Bay of Bengal. Japan has been taking part in this exercise since 2015. Australia had participated in the Malabar naval exercises once, in 2007.
Biegun also stated that the US wants to see Vietnam, South Korea and New Zealand to eventually join an expanded version of the ‘Quad’ (India, Australia, Japan and the US), citing the “very cooperative” meetings of the grouping of four countries with officials from the these nations regarding the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.