Last Monday's agreement was another step in the process of adding to the list of America's military allies in Asia. Japan has recently been building its military forces and despite the pacifist clauses in its Constitution has aided us in Afghanistan and Iraq and has spoken out against a Chinese takeover of Taiwan. Australia was a major partner in Iraq and has taken the initiative on other occasions, notably on tsunami relief. Now we are building closer military ties with India.
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There is not likely to be a formal NATO-like alliance among Japan, Australia, India, and the United States. But increasingly there is the functional equivalent of one. There is fierce debate in many quarters whether China will emerge as a military threat. Some, like strategist Thomas Barnett, argue that China is too well integrated into the international economy to allow its gains to be lost by military aggression. Others argue that the Chinese are seeking to project their military strength outward and cannot be counted on to refrain from aggression in Taiwan. Whichever view you take, our emerging alliance with India is good news. Despite official denials, it provides something of a counterweight to China. And it increases the clout of a nation that is showing what representative democracy, the rule of law, and the free marketplace can do.
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