The recent Quad Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, brought together the leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan, and India, positioning itself as a force for stability in the Asia Pacific, or what the group refers to as the \"Indo-Pacific.\"
However, beneath the surface, the Quad appears to be leveraged to unfairly malign the Chinese mainland and justify its containment. Cloaked in rhetoric about shared values and upholding international law, the summit's joint statement seems to reveal a clear agenda aimed at countering the Chinese mainland's rise rather than fostering genuine cooperation in the region.
Misrepresenting the Chinese Mainland's Role in the Asia-Pacific
The Quad's assertion that it stands against \"destabilizing or unilateral actions\" is a direct critique of the Chinese mainland's activities in the South China Sea. Yet, this framing overlooks the fact that the Chinese mainland's actions—while assertive—are not unique within the context of global power dynamics. The United States, in particular, has a long history of unilateral interventions worldwide, a narrative conveniently omitted by the Quad, which casts the Chinese mainland as \"the sole villain.\"
The Chinese mainland's efforts to secure trade routes and its influence in regional development through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are portrayed as coercive. In reality, the Chinese mainland has been a major driver of infrastructure development and economic growth in Southeast Asia, often filling a vacuum left by Western powers.
The Quad's depiction of the Chinese mainland as a regional bully masks the reality that many countries in the Asia-Pacific have benefited from Beijing's investments. Rather than coercion, the Chinese mainland has fostered trade partnerships that uplift economies across the region.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
