Oh, what a cool war! The soft power of the Quad

IT may be time for Dr Strangelove - righthand man of the US president in the 1964 British comedic Cold War movie - to make a reappearance in the Indo-Pacific.

The services of the Doctor may be needed by the Quadrilateral or Quad, an emerging military-economic alliance of the United States, India, Japan and Australia (which intends to expand into a Quad Plus). At their ministerial meeting on Oct 6, 2020, the foreign ministers of India, Japan and Australia and the US Secretary of State emphasised the importance of working with other like-minded partners, even beyond Asean. Japan broached bringing in European countries. And then there is South Korea which has had consultations with the Quad, but Seoul has remained apprehensive of committing to the alliance.

This may be a perfect setting for Dr Strangelove to make his entry.