Posted on 12/05/21
| News Source: i24
Lowy Institue, a foreign policy think tank, attributed Covid to China's weakened regional influence
Deepening security uncertainties in the Indo-Pacific, as well as China’s weakened regional power due to the Covid pandemic, present a “significant” risk of war, the Lowy Institute said in a report on Sunday.
United States allies in the region and key balancing powers - such as India - are more than ever dependent on US capacity and willingness to counter China’s rise, the Australian-based foreign policy think tank suggested.
Simultaneously, Beijing is seeking to dissuade Southeast Asian countries from joining a US coalition.
China is also upgrading its military exchanges with Russia and Pakistan, as well as North Korea, creating a trio of China-aligned nuclear-armed powers in the region, the think tank continued.
"Whether the emerging balance of military power contributes to deterrence and strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific is an open question," the report said, Reuters reported.
"The depth of hostilities, the breadth of US-China competition, and the presence of multiple potential flashpoints means the risk of war is significant."
Further speculation noted that the impact from Covid undermined the Indo-Pacific’s prosperity, weakening China’s global influence.