US seeks formal alliance similar to NATO with India, Japan and Australia as a bulwark against a potential challenge from China, State Department official says

South China Morning Post ^ | 09/01/2020 | Robert Delaney

[SeekAndFind]

Washington aims to formalise its closer Indo-Pacific defence relations with India, Japan and Australia – also known as “the quad” – into something more closely resembling the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), a senior US State Department official said on Monday.

The US government’s goal is to get the grouping of four countries and others in the region to work together as a bulwark against “a potential challenge from China” and “to create a critical mass around shared values and interests of those parties in a manner that attracts more countries in the Indo-Pacific and even from around the world … ultimately to align in a more structured manner”, said Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun.

“The Indo-Pacific region is actually lacking in strong multilateral structures,” he said. “They don‘t have anything of the fortitude of NATO or the European Union. The strongest institutions in Asia oftentimes are not, I think, not inclusive enough and so … there is certainly an invitation there at some point to formalise a structure like this.”

“Remember even NATO started with relatively modest expectations and a number of countries [initially] chose neutrality over NATO membership,” Biegun added. Biegun cautioned that Washington would keep its ambitions for a Pacific NATO “checked”, saying that such a formal alliance “only will happen if the other countries are as committed as the United States”.

Speaking with former US ambassador to India, Richard Verma, in an online discussion organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Biegun also said the group of four nations were expected to meet in Delhi sometime this autumn and cited Australia’s possible participation in India’s Malabar naval exercise as an example of progress towards a more formal defence bloc.

India is “clearly indicating an intention to invite Australia to participate in the Malabar naval exercises,

[Gen.Blather]

“Add Taiwan and South Korea? Just a thought.”

I had a similar thought, but doing so may limit what the alliance can do as it would have its figurative testicles, Taiwan and South Korea, in kicking range anytime the larger partners wanted to do something. Also, Taiwan in particular, has nothing they can bring to the party. Any potential bases they offer are in easy striking range by a huge number of existing weapons and they would have no decision making distance from a potential strike in any altercation, creating a launch on warning scenario. Also, China has an unbelievable amount of “face” involved in Taiwan, which might force them into a war whether they could win or not. This would devastate Taiwan, win or lose.

The objective of an alliance in today’s world is not only to win a war, but to create a deterrent so large you don’t have to fight a war. Who thinks the losing side will not use nukes rather than lose? If the American side loses politicians are looking at instant retirement back to their home town and normal fortunes. If China loses their leaders are looking at short, painful deaths. Xi...”Does anybody remember where I laid those launch codes?”

South Korea is a whole different set of problems in that it creates a vulnerability but brings little to the party.

[ASA Vet]

SEATO is generally considered a failure because internal conflict and dispute hindered general

SEATO General Jesus M Vargas certainly didn't fail at having great parties, and at having a really good looking teenage daughter.
His house was just on the other side of our fence in Bangkok.

Oh. He was Filipino. He liked Americans, (so did his daughter Teresa.)

[FLT-bird]

Add Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand the Philippines an even Indonesia if they want in.

[sarge83]

We would do better to seek an alliance with India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore in the region and leave NATO in the ash heap of history. The Europeans are notorious for selling out allies, collaboration and appeasement.

Form an alliance and keep a joint allied naval presence in the South China Sea following international laws and ignoring Chinese complaints. This fleet could keep the Chinese constantly having to track it and we gather intel as to their capabilities as they track it and we irritate the chicoms to no end and we have a battle force present at all times in the South China Sea.