The long-time schemes by some countries to "contain China" have failed because reality has proved they were only fantasies.
Nearly two decades after the end of the Cold War, the mindset of that era still lingers on in some countries. The rightwing politicians and activists have been seeking an "Asian version of NATO" to deal with China, but their efforts have yielded little results.
To curb China's rapid development in recent years, those people have gambled by hedging their bets on both sides.
In 2006, the US neoconservative idealists proposed building a democratic alliance through the reform of existing international institutions and the creation of new ones, and their main target apparently being China.
Such a proposal received response in Japan where some people wanted to design an "Arc of Freedom and Prosperity". US-Japan-Australia security talks got underway while the US also persuaded India to join them.
However, such efforts were doomed to fail.
First, these plans were not in the people's interests nor in accord with their national interests. Asian people had been through extreme suffering during two world wars, including two atomic bombings.
The end of the Cold War sparked hopes of peace, cooperation and development, in opposition to the plots of neoconservatives and right-wing politicians. The leaders of Asian countries had to think about their own national interests, and those of their people.
Second, such alliances were born unhealthy while some were stillborn.
Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard was not an enthusiast of the so-called four-nation-alliance. Emphasizing that a rising China was both good for Australia and the world. Howard reiterated that Australia had no intention to contain China.
Kevin Rudd, the current Australian Prime Minister who speaks fluent Mandarin, has made it clear he will enhance friendship between Australia and China. The Australian Foreign Ministry also said last year's four-nation strategic talks led to concern in China, indicating Australia might have second thoughts about the alliance.
Despite Japan being a loyal friend of the US, the country's new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Japan will develop relations with the US and other Asian countries at the same time, indicating he might abandon the slogan of "Arc of Freedom and Prosperity".
