MELBOURNE (Reuters] – China’s Indo-Pacific power has suffered and regional security uncertainty have made the region more vulnerable to a possible war. The Lowy Institute released a report Sunday stating that the pandemic coronavirus virus had “significantly” increased the risk of war.

The U.S. alliances in the region, and the key balancing power countries such as India, have never been more dependent upon American capability and willingness to maintain a military and strategic counterweight to China’s rise. This is according to the Sydney-based foreign policies think tank.

Beijing is also trying to deter Southeast Asian countries joining the U.S.-led coalition. It has been increasing its military trades with Russia and Pakistan and North Korea. This creates a formidable trio, all-aligned, nuclear-armed power in the region.

The report stated that it was unclear if the Indo-Pacific’s emerging balance of military strength contributes to strategic stability and deterrence.

“The depth of hostilities, the breadth of U.S.–China competition and the presence of multiple potential flashpoints means the risk of war is significant.”

China’s overall power has been weakened by the effects of the pandemic.

“Beijing is now less likely to pull ahead of its peer competitor in comprehensive power by the end of the decade – this suggests that there is nothing inevitable about China’s rise in the world,” the report said. It seems very unlikely that China will be as powerful as the United States in the future.

According to the think tank, Australia’s relations with China are declining significantly over recent years. However, it is becoming more dependent on Washington.

Australia expelled Chinese tech company Huawei Technologies Co. from its 5G telecoms network in 2018. Last year, relations deteriorated when Canberra demanded an independent investigation into coronavirus origins. This prompted a number of trade sanctions from China.