Amid growing concerns over China, here are pacts that nations formed to counter Beijing

Amid growing anti-China sentiment across the globe, while some nations are showcasing a united front to tackle its growing assertiveness, others, not so much. With an array of global challenges emerging from all corners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to the United States on Wednesday. He will not only reiterate the strong partnership between the US and India in his bilateral summit with US President Joe Biden but would also participate in the first-ever in-person leaders’ summit of the QUAD leaders, an alliance that has already angered China previously.

Ever since Biden took over the US presidency, he embarked on a strategic path to counter China and its increasing global influence. From stirring support among allies to joining blocs that display the strength of countries in the face of Beijing, his administration’s agenda is fairly clear when it comes to the Communist nation. Several nations have raised their voices against China regarding its repression of Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and claim on Taiwan and the South China Sea. 

Most recently, the US announced a defence strategic pact with UK and Australia angering China, yet again. However, notably, this time the trilateral alliance called AUKUS drew severe backlash from France with Paris recalling its envoys from the US and Australia. China’s embassy in the US called out Washington, London and Canberra of “Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice.” Meanwhile, European nations are also mulling to develop deep Indo-pacific ties amid China concerns. Even Japan, which has avoided any direct remarks against China has revamped its policy recently. 

Here’s all about anti-China pacts:

AUKUS

Signalling a major paradigm shift in the strategy and policy across the region, the new security partnership in the Asia-Pacific called AUKUS was unveiled this month among the US, UK and Australia. One of the most significant features of this alliance is that it will witness the UK and the US provide Australia with both the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. 

As per BBC, even though American officials have said that AUKUS has nothing to do with China, experts have noted the shift in strategy. Further, the US introduced the trilateral pact just a month after it withdrew from Afghanistan. Similarly, UK was also eager to elevate its involvement in Asia-Pacific after it left the 27-nation-bloc, the European Union (EU). Meanwhile, Australia, which has previously batted for an independent inquiry of COVID-19 origin in China, has become increasingly concerned with Beijing’s influence. 

Guy Boekenstein, senior director of defence and national security at Australia's Northern Territory government told BBC, “It is a 'big deal' because this shows that all three nations are drawing a line in the sand to start and counter the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) aggressive moves in the Indo-Pacific.” Earlier, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that China was "embarking on one of the biggest military spends in history".

"It is growing its navy [and] air force at a huge rate. Obviously, it is engaged in some disputed areas," Wallace has reportedly said. "Our partners in those regions want to be able to stand their own ground." According to analysts, AUKUS can be the most significant security arrangement between the three nations since World War II.

"This is a historic opportunity for the three nations, with like-minded allies and partners, to protect shared values and promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," the joint statement of US, UK and Australia read.

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) was initially created as an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts. In 2007, the then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe formalised the alliance to establish an Asian Arc of Democracy. However, it was stalled due to a lack of cohesion among the members and the accusations that the group was an anti-China bloc. 

However, when China’s threat emerged again in 2017, the four nations including India, Japan, Australia and the United States affirmed their stance on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). The first QUAD leaders summit will take place on September 24 after the four leaders met virtually last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic and showcased unity. Notably, instead of creating policies aligned with the EU or the UN, the QUAD mainly focuses on the expansion of existing agreements between several nations and highlighting their shared values. 

QUAD nations said in a statement following their first summit last year, “We have convened to reaffirm our commitment to quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. We bring diverse perspectives and are united in a shared vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion.”

Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC)

A group of senior lawmakers from eight democracies including the US launched a fresh cross-parliamentary alliance last year to counter China’s influence and its challenges. Called the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), it was launched on June 4, 2020.  The group has said that it aims to “construct appropriate and coordinated responses, and to help craft a proactive and strategic approach on issues related to the People’s Republic of China.”

The co-chairs of the group include US  Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democrat Bob Menendez, former Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani, European Parliament foreign affairs committee member Miriam Lexmann along with UK Conservative lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith.

As per the official website of Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China, “IPAC’s mission is to foster deeper collaboration between like-minded legislators. Its principal work is to monitor relevant developments, to assist legislators to construct appropriate and coordinated responses, and to help craft a proactive and strategic approach on issues related to the People’s Republic of China.”

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

The Trans-Pacific Partnership or Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement was the centrepiece of former US President Barack Obama’s strategic pivot to Asia. It was a proposed trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States and was signed on February 4, 2016.

However, ex-US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the pact in 2017, on his first full day in the office. Before Trump abandoned TPP, it was on its way to becoming the world’s largest free trade deal and covered at least 40 per cent of the global economy. With the US on the sidelines, the remaining TPP countries forged ahead with a new version of the pact as Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Just this month, China applied to join the pact which put more pressure on the US. However, Biden has said he does not support the United States rejoining the TPP as it stands. At the time, when Obama joined the alliance, it was to ensure that the US and “not countries like China, is the one writing this century’s rules for the world’s economy,” as per Council on Foreign relations report. Now, after the US unveiled AUKUS, China expressed its willingness to join the pact which was made to counter Beijing.

Five Eyes alliance

Signed between the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the  Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement between the democracies. It had initially evolved during the Cold War as a way to monitor the Soviet Union and shared classified intelligence. As per BBC, this alliance is also described as the world’s most successful intelligence alliance. 

The five-eyes nations have previously jointly condemned China and its treatment of the ethnic Muslim minority of Uyghurs along with China’s de factor military taking over the South China Sea, and suppression in Hong Kong and intimidating Taiwan. Even Chinese state media attempted to delegitimise the alliance as an “anti-China” grouping. China’s Foreign Ministry officials have repeatedly attacked its members.

Image: AP