By Richard Hanania
President Biden met virtually with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan in mid-March. This semi-official coalition is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or “Quad,” a loose partnership that is meant to form “a counterweight to China.” Or at least that is what the media and foreign policy observers are saying.
In a Washington Post op-ed, with the names of each of the four leaders on it, China does not come up. Rather, the piece speaks in generalities on issues such as respecting international law and tackling climate change. The first major joint project by the group is to work together to produce and distribute 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine.
When one scratches beneath the surface, there is little indication that any real balancing coalition is forming against China. In fact, the trend is towards more integration between Beijing and its neighbors. From that perspective, the fanfare about the Quad looks more like allies going along with a public relations stunt by the Biden administration than it does an actual alliance that will work together against China.
This piece was originally published in The Hill on March 22, 2021. Read more HERE.