China’s claim that the US Indo-Pacific strategy aims to create “an Indo-Pacific version of NATO”, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 7, is not new. Indeed, even as far back as 15 years ago, during the first iteration of the now revived India, Australia, Japan, US Quad, Beijing warned of an imminent “Asian NATO” that would certainly never materialise. Came. However, the latest statement assumes significance in the current global context and amid the crisis in Ukraine. Speaking in Beijing during the National People’s Congress, Mr Wang accused the US of “fostering geopolitical rivalry” by “forming a special club”. He said that by strengthening the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance and “paddling the quad, tying the AUKUS together and strengthening bilateral military alliances”, the US is leading a “five-four-three-two” formation in that region. Was. The overarching goal, he said, was to “establish an Indo-Pacific version of NATO”.
In recent weeks, Beijing has repeatedly blamed NATO for the crisis in Ukraine. Claiming to remain neutral, it has proceeded to reaffirm ties with Russia, which Beijing described on Monday as “rock solid”. When the leaders of the two countries met for a summit on 4 February, China supported Russia on its concerns over NATO’s eastward expansion in Europe, and Russia criticized the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy on both sides. returned in favor of Beyond their already deep political and economic ties, these reflected concerns over US alliances emerging as a powerful binding glue in the China-Russia axis. New Delhi will need to consider how this will affect its close ties with Russia. Clearly comparing the Quad, which is not a military agreement, to other security agreements, China is still explicitly positioning India as part of the US “exclusive club”. New Delhi has rejected this notion. Only last month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had said that “interested parties” were making a “lazy analogy of Asian NATO” and that India was not a US treaty ally. Indeed, some in New Delhi are seeing Beijing’s aggressive moves along the LAC in 2020 as a warning sign to stall Indo-US ties. India’s resolute, and correct, response has been to keep the line, and continue to deepen ties with not only the US and the Quad, but also other Indo-Pacific partners, to underline that it will not be swayed. The second message from India has been that sensitivity to concerns must be mutual, and cannot be demanded by one side when ignored by the other; China’s relations with Pakistan are an example of this. Mr Wang acknowledged that the recent “setbacks” in relations are favorable to neither India nor China – a view New Delhi shares. The two sides will meet on March 11 for the next round of military talks to pursue the dismantling of the LAC. As India and China are exploring the much needed modus vivendi To restore relations from the lowest point in decades and ensure peace on the border, they will also need to have a comprehensive dialogue about the global currents that are reshaping their bilateral ties.