QUAD is Ready but No More Free lunches for ASEAN on South China Sea

In September 2007 under the UPA-I regime, India, US, Japan, Australia, Singapore participated in Malabar Naval exercises in Bay of Bengal. This was before the concept of QUAD – US, India, Japan and Australia – was not even born but Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ruled Beijing sent demarche to all four countries and virtually blaming the exercises partners for targeting the Middle Kingdom. With the Indian Left parties badgering the Manmohan Singh regime already over India-US nuclear deal and not willing to earn the wrath of Chinese rulers, the naval exercise concept was dropped like a hot potato by all barring the US. Thirteen years later, India, Japan and Australia are again on the same cross-road with Chinese dragon breathing on Ladakh land borders with India, contesting Senkaku Islands with Japan, openly threatening Australia with trade war, and talking nuke missiles to exercising US navy in South China Sea (SCS). Read More…