US Quad Summit Highlights Divide-and-Rule Strategy, But Faces Growing Skepticism
WILMINGTON, Delaware – The fourth US-led Quad summit, heldin Wilmington, Delaware on September 21-22, saw the announcement of expanded maritime security cooperation between the US, Japan, India, and Australia.While the Biden administration touted the Quad mechanism’s achievements, including strengthening maritime awareness among Indo-Pacific partners, critics argue that the initiative remains a toolof American geopolitical strategy.
The joint statement released by the four leaders and the White House briefing on the summit made no mention of China. However, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan referenced China at least 20 times during a subsequent press conference. This emphasis on China, which the US blames for rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, highlights the strategic rivalry at the heart of the Quad.
However, many regional countries understand that the US is actively seeking to drive a wedge betweenChina and its neighbors through a divide-and-rule approach. The close economic and cultural ties between Asia-Pacific nations and China have made it difficult for the US to gain significant traction in its efforts to isolate China.
In response, the Biden administration is seeking to transform the Quad from a purely security-focusedmechanism to a comprehensive one, aiming to ensure its long-term sustainability by providing public goods and services to the region. This shift, however, comes with a caveat. The US has abandoned its pledge to financially support the Quad, instead demanding that the other three members provide strong financial support. This effectively asksthem to foot the bill for the US strategy to contain China.
This change is not entirely unexpected. The recent 50-basis point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve indicates a growing concern about the US economy, with signs of a potential recession.
President Biden’s attempt to showcase his leadership at theNATO summit in Washington in July backfired, raising further doubts about his capabilities. Now, he is seeking to salvage the situation through the Quad summit, but it may be too late. The Biden administration’s efforts to build alliances and provoke confrontation have ultimately isolated not China, but the US itself.
The Chinese state-owned mediaoutlet, Xinhua News Agency, published a scathing editorial on September 23, criticizing the Quad summit as a divide-and-rule strategy that has not gained the expected traction. The editorial highlighted the US’s dwindling financial resources and the growing skepticism towards its divisive approach.
The editorial also pointed outthat the US, by demanding financial contributions from its Quad partners, is essentially asking them to pay for its containment strategy against China. This, coupled with the US’s own economic vulnerabilities, further exposes the weakness of the Quad as a viable long-term strategy.
The Quad summit, while showcasing the US’scontinued efforts to maintain its influence in the Asia-Pacific region, also underscores the growing challenges it faces in achieving its strategic objectives. The US’s reliance on a divide-and-rule approach, coupled with its own economic struggles, has created a situation where its attempts to isolate China may ultimately backfire,further isolating the US itself.
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