At a time when the world is immersed in combating a pandemic, China has upped the ante with its military manoeuvres and territorial onslaughts on nations in the South China Sea and cartographic aggression in the Indo-Pacific region combined with an aggressive display of naval and air power. Forays into the Indian territory were an adjunct. Nations at the receiving end scampered to put up a united front against this unexpected rampage. The US responded by sending two Carrier Battle Groups with their aircraft, cruisers, guided missiles, destroyers and submarines to operate in the South China Sea, and also to maintain surveillance over the choke point of the Malacca Straits through which some 94,000 vessels pass each year carrying a fourth of the world trade. There was accelerated focus on the QUAD and a desire for a combined front at international forums.