India, July 4 -- As the Quad foreign ministers wrapped up their meeting, former US assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific affairs Ely Ratner pitched for a new Pacific defence pact that will organise a core coalition of countries to combat China in the Indo-Pacific. In an interview with HT, Ratner argued that the Quad is not prepared for high-intensity military operations in the Indo-Pacific, and stressed that India should allow more foreign military to operate in and around the country to boost interoperability with key partners. He also said that India should expand its area of focus to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, where China's policies pose the threat of serious instability. Edited excerpts:

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