The Quad Summit as a tool for unfair containment of China

Editor's note: Bradley Blankenship, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a Prague-based American journalist, political analyst, and freelance reporter. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The recent Quad Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, brought together the leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan, and India, projecting itself as a force for stability in the Asia Pacific, or what the group called, the "Indo-Pacific."

However, beneath the surface, the Quad is being used to unfairly malign China and justify its containment. Wrapped in lofty rhetoric about shared values and upholding international law, the summit's joint statement reveals a clear agenda aimed at countering China's rise rather than fostering genuine cooperation in the region.

Misrepresenting China's role in the Asia-Pacific

The Quad's assertion that it stands against "destabilizing or unilateral actions" is a direct swipe at China's activities in the South China Sea. Yet this framing is disingenuous, ignoring the fact that China's actions – while assertive – are not unique in the context of global power dynamics. The United States, in particular, has a long history of unilateral interventions across the world, but the Quad's narrative conveniently omits this, casting China as "the sole villain".

China's efforts to secure trade routes and its influence in regional development through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are mischaracterized as coercive. In reality, China 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 portrayal of China as a regional bully obscures the fact that many countries in the Asia-Pacific have benefited from Beijing's investments. Rather than coercion, China has fostered trade partnerships that uplift economies across the region.

Maritime security: A veiled strategy for containment

The Quad's emphasis on maritime security, through initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, is less about maintaining peace and more about controlling vital trade routes that China relies on. This "maritime security" narrative serves to justify increased U.S. and allied military presence in the region, reinforcing containment policies aimed at limiting China's ability to secure its economic interests.

China's growing naval capabilities, particularly in the South China Sea, are framed as destabilizing, while the Quad's military activities are cast as purely defensive. However, China's actions in the maritime domain are driven by legitimate security concerns, particularly with the United States encircling it with military bases and alliances like AUKUS. The Quad's attempts to control these waters, all while demonizing China, highlights the double standard that underpins this supposed coalition of "shared values."

Economic and technological containment

Beyond maritime security, the Quad is focusing on technological infrastructure, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and clean energy – sectors where China has made significant strides. The "Quad Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network" is presented as a way to secure global supply chains, but it is also clearly aimed at countering China's growing dominance in the tech world.

This effort to create alternative technology networks that exclude China is a deliberate strategy to economically isolate Beijing, even as Chinese technology becomes indispensable to global supply chains.

Similarly, initiatives like the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership and undersea cable networks are framed as tools to boost connectivity and infrastructure. Yet, in reality, these projects aim to create economic dependencies that exclude China, offering alternatives to the infrastructure and digital networks China has been building through the BRI. Rather than genuine cooperation, these initiatives are designed to compete with – and ultimately diminish – China's role in the region.

In addition, the Quad's claim of transparency and respect for regional institutions like ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum is undermined by its exclusion of China. The summit's statement highlights a supposed commitment to multilateralism, yet it is clear that the Quad's real agenda is to create a bloc that counters China, not one that engages it. By selectively engaging with nations that share its strategic interests, the Quad perpetuates an international order that is exclusive, not inclusive.

To sum up, Quad is using the word cooperation to disguise its actual intention of containment against China. The Quad's summit is just the latest example of how this grouping has been repurposed to serve U.S. strategic interests. While the rhetoric of the joint statement suggests that the Quad is working to ensure peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, the reality is that it is creating a polarized environment where China is unfairly maligned and contained.

China's rise need not be viewed as a threat. Instead of pushing an agenda of containment, the Quad should work toward genuine cooperation with Beijing, focusing on shared challenges such as climate change, poverty alleviation, and regional development.

The Quad's attempts to frame itself as a force for good while subtly undermining China's role in the region reveal the underlying bias of its leaders. If true stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific are the goals, the Quad must move beyond its containment strategies and engage with China in a spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation.

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