The US is forming a “Pacific NATO” to encircle China just as the US and Europe encircles Russia. So say Chinese officials who contend this “perverse” strategy is “doomed to fail.” They are referring to the Quad, a loosely defined military grouping of the US, Japan, Australia and India. It’s a far cry from NATO, an ironclad treaty with big budgets and clear red lines. But depending on the perspective, it might appear as an early version of NATO. How this Quad treats Taiwan could determine whether or not a Ukraine-esque fiasco emerges in the years ahead.
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