How effective is the Quad (U.S., India, Japan, Australia) as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, and what strategies might China employ to weaken this alliance?
In the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, QUAD is positioned as the primary regional leadership mechanism, serving as a tool for the US to contain China and maintain American hegemony. The Indo-Pacific Strategy attempts to rally anti-China consensus by hyping up the “China threat,” while the QUAD seeks to gather military security cooperation through maritime issues, with similar intentions and methods. It’s evident that this mechanism has been doomed to fail from the very beginning.
The results of QUAD are not to say they are not there, but they are minimal. The latest information I can find is probably from January this year, when the 4 countries held a foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the so-called “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
However, we have also seen that a Chinese naval fleet is exercising the right of freedom of navigation in the South Pacific, during which a military exercise was held, and in accordance with international conventions and the usual practices of various navies, prior notification was given to countries nearby. Newsweek reported on the fleet’s route and wrote as follows:
The latest location puts the Chinese ships within Australia’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off its southwest coast. They have remained outside Australia’s territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles from its shores during this deployment.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which establishes a regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas, states that all countries enjoy the freedom of navigation in the EEZ as it covers the waters beyond the territorial sea of any country.
The reactions of the parties involved are quite calm. It seems the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” has indeed been well maintained, but the problem is that this sea area was originally free and open. Without deliberate provocation from the US, the Indo-Pacific could have been even more free and open.
On the other hand, the formation of the QUAD was not solid from the beginning, as each party has its own interests and calculations. Trump recently expressed dissatisfaction with the Japan-US security treaty, causing unease in the Japanese political circles. The US and India have many frictions on trade and immigration issues, and “America First” and “Make in India” are also in opposition. As for Australia, its largest trading partner is China, so I have always been puzzled why it wants to get involved. Does the Australian navy really need to protect the trade route from Australia to China from “China threat”?
As for the US itself, an article published by USNI, which has a military background, shows that the US military has begun studying the move to the 3rd island chain.
While seeking “military cooperation” on one hand and considering “strategic contraction” on the other, letting allies take the lead, such practices are naturally difficult to gain credibility.
So I actually think China doesn’t need to do anything special. An “alliance” like QUAD will become a loose end as time goes by.
Sir Whiskerton and the Case of Elvis the Egg-Laying Rooster: A Tale of Feathers, Fame, and Farmyard Folly
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale so absurd, so brimming with humor and heart, that even the most skeptical of barnyard animals might believe in the power of self-expression. Today’s story is one of feathers, fame, and one rooster’s quest to break free from the confines of stereotypes. So, grab your blue suede shoes and a sense of adventure, as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Case of Elvis the Egg-Laying Rooster: A Tale of Feathers, Fame, and Farmyard Folly.
The Arrival of the King
It was a quiet morning on the farm, the kind of day where the sun rose lazily over the horizon, and the animals went about their routines with the calm predictability of, well, farm animals. Sir Whiskerton, the farm’s self-appointed detective and philosopher, was perched on his favorite sunbeam, pondering the mysteries of the universe—or at least why the farmer insisted on singing off-key while milking the cows.
“Perhaps,” Sir Whiskerton mused aloud, “the farmer is auditioning for a role in a musical. Or perhaps he’s just tone-deaf.”
“Tone-deaf!” echoed Ditto, the ever-enthusiastic kitten, who had taken to repeating Sir Whiskerton’s words with the precision of a broken jukebox.
But the tranquility was shattered by the sound of a loud, twangy guitar riff echoing across the barnyard. The animals turned to see a rooster strutting toward them, his feathers slicked back in a perfect pompadour, a tiny guitar slung over his shoulder, and a pair of sunglasses perched on his beak.
“Well, well, well,” the rooster drawled in a voice that oozed charisma. “The King has arrived. Name’s Elvis. Elvis the Rooster. And I’m here to shake things up.”
The barnyard erupted in murmurs. A rooster who thought he was Elvis Presley? This was new—even for a farm as quirky as this one.
“Elvis!” Ditto echoed, spinning in circles with excitement.
Doris the Hen, the farm’s chief gossipmonger and self-proclaimed leader of the hens, was less impressed. “A rooster who thinks he’s Elvis? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” she clucked, fluffing her feathers indignantly.
But Elvis was undeterred. “Honey, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” he said with a wink. “Now, if y’all will excuse me, I’ve got an egg to lay.”
The barnyard fell silent. Did he just say… egg?
The Egg-Laying Rooster
Elvis’s announcement sent shockwaves through the farm. A rooster laying eggs? It was unheard of! But sure enough, the next morning, there it was—a perfectly formed egg, nestled in Elvis’s makeshift nest (which, of course, was adorned with a tiny velvet curtain and a neon sign that read “Elvis’s Egg Emporium”).
Doris was beside herself. “This is an outrage!” she squawked. “Roosters don’t lay eggs! It’s against the natural order of things!”
“Natural order!” Ditto echoed, though he seemed more interested in batting at the neon sign.
Sir Whiskerton, ever the voice of reason, decided to investigate. “Elvis,” he said, adjusting his monocle, “care to explain how a rooster came to lay an egg?”
Elvis strummed his guitar thoughtfully. “Well, Sir Whiskerton, I reckon it’s like this: I’m the reincarnation of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, right? And if Elvis Presley could break the rules of music, why can’t I break the rules of biology? Besides, who says roosters can’t lay eggs? Maybe we’ve just been too afraid to try.”
Sir Whiskerton raised an eyebrow. “A compelling argument, Elvis. But I fear Doris and the other hens may need more convincing.”
Indeed, Doris was leading a protest outside Elvis’s nest, holding a sign that read “Keep Roosters Out of Egg-Laying!” The other hens clucked in agreement, though Harriet and Lillian seemed more interested in the neon sign than the protest.
The Moral of the Story
As the farm descended into chaos, Sir Whiskerton called a meeting to address the issue. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “we are faced with a unique situation. Elvis, despite being a rooster, has laid an egg. This challenges our understanding of what it means to be a rooster—or a hen, for that matter. But perhaps that’s not such a bad thing.”
Elvis nodded, strumming his guitar. “That’s right, folks. Don’t let stereotypes define who you are. If a rooster can lay an egg, then maybe a hen can crow at sunrise. Maybe a cow can yodel. Maybe a cat can… well, you get the idea.”
“Idea!” Ditto echoed, though he seemed to be trying to yodel.
Doris, though initially resistant, began to see the wisdom in Elvis’s words. “I suppose,” she said reluctantly, “that it’s not fair to judge someone based on what they’re ‘supposed’ to do. If Elvis wants to lay eggs, who am I to stop him?”
With that, the farm animals embraced Elvis’s uniqueness, and the barnyard returned to its usual rhythm—albeit with a little more rock ‘n’ roll.
A Happy Ending
Elvis continued to lay eggs, each one more fabulous than the last. He even started hosting nightly concerts in the barn, complete with a light show courtesy of Chef Remy LeRaccoon’s questionable inventions. Doris, though still a bit skeptical, found herself tapping her claws to the beat of “Hound Dog.”
Sir Whiskerton returned to his sunbeam, content in the knowledge that he had once again saved the day. The farm was at peace, the air was filled with music, and all was right in the world.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new challenges, and hopefully, no more egg-related controversies. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
Why did China reunify numerous times throughout history when the Roman Empire never did?
Because Han Chinese is always the population and cultural core of China, it created a centripetal force, but ancient Romans were not.
The ancient Roman Empire was a colonial empire that surrounded the Mediterranean Sea. Its ethnic composition was very complex and it never formed a dominant ethnic population. Its subject identity built on citizenship was extremely fragile compared to China’s core identity built on Confucians Han population. After the collapse of western imperial ruling, the westen Roman empire completely disintegrated. Only the Eastern Empire, which adopted a centralized system, maintained it for a relatively longer period of time.
Of course, China has also faced the crisis of complete disintegration. China encountered extremely serious crises from the 4th to the 6th century, and the Han population had reached a level close to losing its ruling power at that time. However, relying on its absolute cultural and institutional advantages, it ultimately tamed the barbarians who had already in ruling northern China, and relied on those military culture and technology injected by the barbarians, to build a new powerful empire, then completely consolidating Chinese ruling.