Following observations:
1. China is not far ahead of USA in the field of 'missile technologies' - people should not comment on matters which they do not seem to understand in person. Chinese
missile force model is shaped by threat perceptions in its surroundings and
different from that of American
missile force model to large extent which in turn was shaped by Cold War and INF Treaty with Russia, but a number of American sources have created hysteria over this matter by drawing misleading parallels. This could be intentional misdirection to divert attention from American security calculus and/or give impetus to birth of a new generation of American power projection capabilities in response.
American decision to pull out from INF Treaty with Russia is a reminder:
Critics say move could ‘exacerbate the mistrust’ between the two rivals and provoke a new arms race.
www.aljazeera.com
www.armscontrol.org
2. QUAD is picking steam without much noise - evolving regime.
Despite differences in threat perception, risk tolerance, military capability, and strategic culture, cooperation among the Quad countries is likely to deepen as long as China continues to challenge key aspects of the status quo liberal rules-based order that benefit all four.
LINK: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publi...quadrilateral-cooperation-advancing-australia
QUAD members have adopted maritime
interoperability measures by now.
LINK: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/orde...at-you-need-to-know-about-the-quad-in-charts/
FOCUS should be on ACTIONS ON THE GROUND and not just on expressions and/or which member is being most vocal in a particular QUAD meeting.
YES - All members of QUAD have significant trade relations with China in the present and economic de-couplings to the point of irrelevance are unlikely in a short span of time. Therefore, QUAD is
PLAN B in the present and will not be on the level of NATO anytime soon.
3. China is doing BRI (good initiative) but it have ongoing disputes with multiple countries which are giving impetus to QUAD.
South China Sea (SCS)
LINK: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/issues/south-china-sea
China - India
LINK: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...red-as-india-china-engage-in-border-standoff/
China - Japan- Korea
LINK: https://apjjf.org/2012/10/53/Ivy-Lee/3877/article.html
China - Taiwan
LINK: https://wmich.edu/politics/kastner-taiwan-strait
China perceive Taiwan as a part of its own.
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How China will negotiate/settle its ongoing disputes with the aforementioned states - is important consideration.
American Presidential Elections are drawing near, and
how the NEXT American President will deal with the aforementioned issues - is important consideration. Much can happen in the space of 4 - 5 years.
Classic DIVIDE and RULE game at play - Americans being distant schemers in this game.
As for the perception of USA in decline - WE do not know for sure. CHANGING GLOBAL DYNAMICS is not necessarily indicative of USA being in decline per se. More like USA in the process of re-adjusting its priorities and commitments accordingly.