USA, QUAD and China’s Inevitable Taiwan Invasion: NATOization or Chinese Hegemony in Indo-Pacific

The transatlantic solidarity led by the United States has played a significant role in denying Russia the luxury of a quick and decisive victory in Ukraine. As the relevance and significance of transatlantic solidarity have rejuvenated in Europe, nowhere is such solidarity more essential and required than in the Indo-Pacific, where China is poised to challenge the US-led rule-based order. Building on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this article explores the significance of Taiwan to the US-led ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific vision along with its other QUAD partners. The replica of NATO in the Indo-pacific could be one of the ways to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-pacific. There would be reluctance from other allies in the region but the USA has the wherewithal to address those concerns in replicating a NATO-like organization in the Indo-Pacific. The article argues that securing Taiwan from Chinese seizure is a litmus test for QUAD and one way is to institutionalize the QUAD. The article concludes with recommendations and a way forward for the QUAD.