In QUAD nations, those were the “golden days,” when anti-China sentiments were at an all-time high. Shinzo Abe’s intent was quite clear when he first founded QUAD to isolate China in the Indo-Pacific.
But now, as the most significant anti-China leaders of the alliance are no longer in power, Abe’s plans appear to have run into trouble. The Pro-China leaders have now taken up the offices and they are hellbent to destroy QUAD completely.
Just like Abe, former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was also a staunch opposer of China. His government had taken a more muscular stance toward the Chinese government than its predecessors.
He took Quad security partnership seriously with India, Japan, and the US and criticizing Beijing over its human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
In May 2022, Morrison resigned as PM as China’s dovish Labor Party candidate Anthony Albanese was elected as the PM of Australia. Till now, PM Albanese was hiding his love for China in the cahoots, but not anymore.
Instead of being wary of relations with China, the Albanese government is pleading with it to restore trade relations. The government of Australia wants to reverse practically all of the actions that Morrison’s government once took to embarrass China.
Firstly, Albanese expressed discontent with AUKUS Pact, now his government has expressed its love for China.
Restart the Coal Deals
Following Morrison’s statement for an international investigation into the origins of Covid-19 in 2020, Australian exports ran into difficulties in Chinese ports. China banned the import of many Australian commodities.
The most significant and contentious of these prohibitions, of course, was the unofficial embargo on Australian coal. In November 2020, the level of Australian coal exports to China was “virtually zero“. But, China had realized that it is dangerously dependent on Australian coal.
Importing from other nations has been an impossible task for CCP as the geopolitical conditions do not favor it. Purchasing coal from Russia would bring China into the limelight and eventually invite sanctions from the West.
So, now Chinese bureaucrats are proposing that senior leaders should authorize the resumption of Australian coal purchases and this move has been welcomed by Australia wholeheartedly.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has welcomed CCP’s move. He stated: “Any move by China to end a nearly two-year ban on Australian coal imports would be a key step in restoring ties between the nations,”
Furthermore, he added: “We would like to see it happen and we’d like to see it not stop there – it should extend to the restrictions that are placed on some of our other exports as well.”
This is Australia’s official confirmation that it is officially ready to accept the relationship with China, and this means the QUAD is unofficially dead.
Read More: Xi Jinping finally kneels before Morrison, quietly buys Australian coal amid crippling blackouts
The QUAD took its last breath
In 2007, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe formulated the idea to form QUAD to keep a check on China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. Between 2016-2020, QUAD enjoyed its golden days as there were four most China hawkish leaders in power.
The former leaders of QUAD were at the helm for imposing tariffs on China and abandoning trade with it. The Quad was engaging in a full-fledged trade war with China. But, the time has changed and so has QUAD.
The only discussion that happened at the last QUAD summit was about Climate change and other secondary issues. There was not even a single mention of China.
The world is mistaken when it says that the new leaders, like Biden and Kishida, are extremely anti-China. Now that Australia has abruptly changed its mind, the world should finally accept that QUAD is over.
The QUAD started to fall as Abe resigned and now it looks like with his demise, the idea of QUAD will also vanish with him.
Read More: Shinzo Abe: The man who founded Quad and neutered China’s military might
So, what’s the course ahead? Because India continues to be adamantly opposed to China, there is still a chance that a new QUAD will reunite. When four China hawks leaders come back to the table again, the sun might rise once more and the QUAD might too.
