UK scholars: US to contain China with micro-alliances

The Australian website conversation.com published an article recently titled "The Quad: US efforts to counter China’s influence in Asia mark a new era of micro alliances". Written by Ed Griffith, deputy head of School of Humanities, Language & Global Studies, University of Central Lancashire, and Moises de Souza, Course Leader International Relations BA Programme, University of Central Lancashire, the two authors point out in the article that we no longer live in a unipolar world dominated by a hegemonic US. Driven by the increasing role of China, the reshaping of the international order has begun.

The authors said US President Joe Biden’s recent Asia trip aims to strengthen relationships in the region, most notably meeting with leaders of the QUAD alliance of America, Japan, India and Australia.

“All these efforts illustrate the kind of reshaped global order that we can expect to see in the future. The new security landscape is of pacts between small numbers of states that produce powerful security groupings with quite specific focus in deterring other great powers.” As the authors point out in the article, “Welcome to a new era of micro-alliances in international politics.”

According to the article, the QUAD originated as a cooperative disaster relief operation after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but in recent years it has evolved into a more security-focused mechanism. As QUAD has regained prominence, it’s a convenient tool against China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. QUAD is now committing more than $50 billion in infrastructure assistance and investment to the Indo-Pacific over the next five years to counter China's economic influence in the region.

The authors stress that the growing importance of QUAD comes against a backdrop of almost complete silence from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. QUAD hopes to convince the 10 ASEAN members that the dialogue offers opportunities beyond the security realm, such as the investment commitments.

From a macro perspective, QUAD plus AUKUS and the Five Eyes Alliance, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity provide a big picture of the overall US strategy to contain China in the coming decades, the authors indicate at the end of the article.

“We should not expect imminent direct conflict but it is clear that global strategic competition between the US and China is intensifying. The QUAD is just the most recent example of how the teams are lining up,” the article says in conclusion.