China and its Naval Threats are a Paper Tiger
Now the QUAD is advancing slowly but steadily. The four leaders US, Japan, Australia and India are sorting out their differences to tackle belligerent China. Of the four, the three face a resurgence of Chinese navy equipped with newly built naval vessels, all copied and equipped with the weapons of the last century. These are no match to its adversaries. The three (Japan, US & Australia) are equipped with most modern naval weapons. In the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is a first-class force equipped with Russian and French-built ships. Consequently, it will deny Chinese naval dominance. Although their newly built naval force has the power to dominate the Indo-Pacific region, including retaking Taiwan, yet it is mostly a paper tiger. They are new, inexperienced, and have not been tested. Previously, China only threatened to retake Taiwan, but now it has extended its ambitions to threaten Japan and distant Australia in the south. To make matters worst, they have reached sparsely inhabited Solomon Islands and challenged Australia directly.
China and US are the best of the trade friends. It is American money that built China over the past 25 years. Their trade is the envy of most Asian nations. Then why the US and China is heading on a confrontational path. Here, the Taiwan invasion is front and center. The US has pledged to defend Taiwan, so this is the start of the confrontation.
With India, which is 4000km away by a sea route via narrow Straits of Malacca, they have picked up an unnecessary fight. It is the Himalayas frontier they dispute. India has joined the QUAD group to safeguard its interests and recover Indian territory in the Himalayas and support the other three in any naval confrontation. India is located at the center of all maritime trade routes leading to and fro from China. Hence it can cut off China from all these routes, including oil supplies thru the Indian Ocean. In addition, India's interest is to keep Pakistan at bay, this interest is well served by the QUAD.
Let us define the Chinese threat
From the east, the naval threat comes from the many ships they have built over the past several years. But this naval threat is not an actual threat as inexperienced crews will face their most experienced opponents. Moreover the Chinese sailors are afraid of the deep, hence in their voyages they mostly hug the coast. Attacking Taiwan only 70 miles away, is within their naval reach, but QUAD could foil that attempt with constant patrols and surveillance of the area. In case of war, India could choke off trade routes and oil supplies.
In the Himalayas, the Chinese have no chance of getting anywhere and winning (1962 was different). The Indian army awaits them in the ten narrow passes for annihilation. Also, the Chinese can't bring their military power from the east, because there's a greater need there, so that's a lost case for them.
Simply put, the Chinese with the creation of QUAD are very stuck. Their naval potential is untested, inexperienced and is and scattered. Their Himalayan adventure has no future as India equips its armies with ever more lethal weapons.