Up till the end of WW2 in 1945 there were no nation state to talk about in Asia except for China that was broken up and semi colonised, and an imperial Japan modelled after the aggressive western empires. Immediately post WW2, only China was left as Japan became an American protectorate or in other words a semi colony till today. All the rest of Asia and Africa, and the Americas were conquered and swallowed up by the expansionist white supremacist European powers.
Africa was colonised and divided up by the European Empires but many silly Africans and Asians still want to believe they are friendly and very nice people. So were Latin America and North America. There was no India, no Pakistan or Bangladesh, no Sri Lanka, no Myanmar, no Indonesia, no Philippines, no Malaysia, no Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia but French Indochina. Thailand was in a peculiar situation, independent but not. All these new nation states were colonies of the white men. They came, they saw, they conquered, they killed and they ruled and they looted practically the whole of Asia, Africa and the Americas....to build a rich Europe, European renaissance on the loot and blood, sweat and tears of their slaves, called subjects of the Empires. Everything belonged to the white men, land and resources and the Asians and Africans and the natives of the Americas. Remember that, you were once owned by the white men, your land also belonged to them.
Any silly Asian countries still thinking so highly, passionately and lovingly of their colonial masters, the white men that invaded and conquered and ruled them as the subjects of their empires, not independent nation states, no rights as citizens but subjects aka slaves? White men nice, yes, after they killed and robbed the wealth of your country and threw a few pieces of crumbs to the subservient local elites that were beholden to the white men for their well being at the expense of the local populace.
India is proposing to invite the white men and the most vicious and barbaric Asian colonial master, Japan, to form a Quad, a 4 member grouping to rule the Indian and Pacific Ocean region under a new regime called Pax Indo Pacifica. But before India got too swell headed, with or without India, the Americans are already proposing to create a new naval force to rule the region as their private pond, the First Fleet in the likes of the Seventh Fleet. They will sail their warships around the region, possibly setting up a permanent military base in one of the crony countries in the region. The Americans even said that with or without a permanent military base in the region, they could still form this new aircraft carrier based naval force to rule over the countries in the region, that they are the new imperial power, the new colonial master. And America's top white dog, Australia, would tag along as if it is a big white powerful country in SE Asia, to be the master of the region as a member of the American naval fleet.
When this happens, should this happen, the nation states in the region would be nation states only in name and not much different from the colonies of pre WW2 era, at best be semi colonies like present day Japan and South Korea. Did anyone ask or invite the white men here to balance China? No need to, the Americans do not need to be invited. They have invited themselves here with no need for the consent of the countries in the region. They do not even need to consult any of the countries in the region. They are the hegemon, the Empire. Take note of that if you are still dull.
The Americans or the white men are coming. They are the new masters of the Indo Pacific region. They have the guns and the warships and no one can say no to them. Would anyone be thinking of asking or inviting the Chinese to come in to balance this white men's dominance and control of the region? No need, ex colonies are in love with their ex colonial masters and love to be ruled by the white men. And the Americans know that the silly Asean countries wanted to be ruled by white masters too. That was why they sent oily and sneaky Pompeo to come visiting. And they are coming. Yes, the First Fleet of aircraft carriers, warships and marines will take over control of the Indo Pacific region. Would India be part of this First Fleet? India is salivating with the thought of being part of the new Empire in the region. Unfortunately the First Fleet is likely to be an all American naval force just like the Third Fleet and Six Fleet in the Middle East. India may be disappointed if left out.
Asean countries should prepare to celebrate and welcome the new colonial masters, the American First Fleet, into the region. Now where would the HQ be based? Who would be the eager beaver to open their legs?
And there will be no independent nation states in SE Asia to talk about when the new American Imperial Forces move in. They are here to protect the weak Asean countries from China. Asean countries would become the protectorates of the American Empire, safe and sound....just like Japan and South Korea and also the native Americans, very well protected.
Neo colonialism/imperialism in another form. The unthinking would not know what is happening. The Americans are so nice to come here to protect them, just like the gangsters walking in to take over an area.
PS. Standard American textbook procedure to control a region or country is to create a threat and in the name of protecting the region or country from the threat, moves in and become the master of the region or country. The threat is to serve that purpose, to lull and dull the natives into thinking there was a threat and forgot about the real threat, the American hegemon, the evil Empire.
When the 'friendly and very nice' white men come, be afraid, be very afraid.