South Asian Quad is a debatable idea

The author casts a critical eye on the concept of a South Asian Quad, proposed as a naval alliance led by Pakistan and China, excluding India. The idea tries to mirror the original Quad comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia which aims to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). These powers use high-tech naval drills and strategic messaging to reinforce maritime stability and curtail threats like piracy and terrorism. However, China sees the Quad as little more than a velvet-gloved attempt to contain its rise. The article points out that oceans, unlike land, offer uninterrupted mobility and connectivity, covering 71% of Earth’s surface and handling over 90% of global trade. In this vast, frictionless space, naval forces are the real power players of the future, especially with AI-driven technologies and space warfare fast eclipsing traditional land armies.

As the article sails deeper, it becomes clear that the proposed South Asian Quad may be little more than smoke and mirrors. With China’s geographic roots in East Asia and Afghanistan still lacking global recognition, the composition of this supposed strategic forum seems off-kilter. The title itself, the author argues, is misleading. While the original Quad is a calculated balancing act with real geopolitical clout, this South Asian version appears more symbolic than strategic. It raises more questions than it answers: What’s the agenda? Who are the real stakeholders? And can it even take off without India? The piece lands a strong punch by questioning whether such a proposal is feasible or simply a diplomatic daydream.

Overview:

The article analyzes the concept of forming a South Asian Quad, likening it to a misplaced attempt at strategic posturing in a region already fraught with geopolitical complexity. It challenges the feasibility, composition, and purpose of such an alliance, particularly in the absence of India.

NOTES

The article highlights Many points regarding the feasibility and strategic weight of a proposed South Asian Quad involving Pakistan and China, while excluding India. It draws a clear contrast between this speculative alliance and the existing Quad comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia which actively works to ensure maritime stability in the Indo-Pacific through coordinated naval drills and interoperability among advanced fleets. The original Quad aims to uphold the concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP), ensuring freedom of navigation and collective resistance against threats like piracy and terrorism, largely under the international rules-based order. The South Asian variant, however, lacks both geographic coherence and diplomatic recognition, particularly with China’s roots in East Asia and Afghanistan’s international legitimacy still hanging in the balance. The article underscores how the oceans, covering 71% of the planet and facilitating 90% of global trade, have become the primary arena for future warfare that shifting the balance from land armies to high-tech, mobile naval forces empowered by AI, drones, and space-based assets. The article also criticizes the ambiguous agenda of the proposed alliance, arguing that the absence of India a dominant regional player, renders the concept strategically hollow and diplomatically unrealistic. Through historical references like the Malabar exercises and factual comparisons, the article stresses that symbolic coalitions without operational clarity are likely to collapse under their own contradictions.

Relevant CSS syllabus or subjects:

• Pakistan Affairs: Pakistan’s regional strategy and alliances
• International Relations: Quad alliance, FOIP strategy, alliance politics
• Current Affairs: Indo-Pacific security, naval diplomacy, strategic dialogues
• Essay Paper: Geopolitics, emerging warfare trends, alliance formation in the 21st century
• Political Science: Balance of power, regionalism, strategic realism

Notes for Beginners:

This article questions the idea of Pakistan and China forming their own version of the Quad without India. The original Quad (US, India, Japan, Australia) is a powerful naval group working together to keep the Indo-Pacific region safe and free. They conduct large naval exercises involving aircraft carriers, submarines, and advanced tech. On the other hand, the South Asian Quad doesn’t seem to have a clear direction or solid members. For example, Afghanistan’s role is shaky since many countries don’t even officially recognize its current government. And without India, a major regional player, the plan feels like building a ship without a rudder. The article argues that while the idea sounds bold, it may lack real-world value.

Facts and Figures:

• Quad includes US, India, Japan, and Australia
• FOIP supports 90% of global trade via sea
• China possesses the world’s largest navy by numbers
• Malabar naval drills started in 1992 between the US and India
• 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans
• Over 90% of world trade moves through maritime routes

To wrap up, this article throws cold water on the lofty ambitions of forming a South Asian Quad without India, calling it a strategic misfire more than a masterstroke. While naval alliances are the new chessboard for global power, this article reminds us that in geopolitics, symbolism without substance is like a ship drifting without an anchor. It’s a timely lesson in strategic realism and a must-read to understand where military logic meets diplomatic illusion.