Nobody was willing to say the word "China" out loud, but "containing" China is just as much the focus of the Quad as "containing" the Soviet Union was when the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) was founded 72 years ago. And like the Nato countries then, today's Quad members collectively outnumber, outgun and surround their adversary. All the Quad members except Japan still have growing and relatively young populations, whereas China's population is rapidly ageing and predicted to start falling fast by 2030. In terms of serious naval hardware, China has one-sixth of the tonnage of the Quad navies, including only two aircraft carriers to 15 for the Quad and 12 nuclear-powered submarines to 69. The United States has been the world's paramount power for the past 75 years, and China is a challenger with its own sense of manifest destiny.

Source: Bangkok Post September 27, 2021 21:45 UTC