On May 17, 2023, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the Quad summit will not take place in Sydney next week. The decision came after US President Jo Biden postponed his trip to Australia due to domestic reasons. The leaders are expected to have a sideline meeting at the G7 summit in Hiroshima between May 19 to 21. In this context, let's have a detailed analysis of the Quad Grouping.
What is Quad?
The 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' - that is, the Quad is a diplomatic network of four nations. India, the US, Australia, and Japan. What is the specialty of these countries?- They are the four maritime democracies and vibrant economies of the world. They work on a far broader agenda, which includes security, economic, and health issues. The motive behind the Quad is to keep the Indo-Pacific free of any military or political influence. It is basically seen as a strategic grouping to reduce Chinese domination.
Formation
It began as a loose partnership after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The four countries joined together to provide humanitarian and disaster assistance to the affected region.
In 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pitched the idea of Quad. The group met for the first time in the same year on the sidelines of the ASEAN. However Australia withdrew from the forum due to political pressure from China. Military cooperation between the US and Australia was resumed in 2010. It led to Australia's comeback to the Quad's naval exercises. And in 2017 the first official talks under the Quad took place in the Philippines. It reflected changing attitudes in the region toward China's growing influence.
How does it work?
Now let's see how the Quad works.
The Quad doesn't have a decision-making body or secretariat. The alliance is maintained through summits, meetings, information exchanges, and military drills. Quad partners engage regularly through Leaders, Foreign Ministers, Sherpas, senior officials, and experts. The leaders share their views on contemporary global issues.
Is it an “Asian NATO”?
China has complained that the QUAD an attempt to form “Asian NATO”. Therefore, China issued formal diplomatic protests to the member countries. The members say the group is meant to deepen economic, diplomatic, and military ties among the four countries. Though not openly stated by the members, the partnership is meant to counter Chinese aggression. But we cannot compare the Quad with the European Alliance NATO. Unlike NATO, there is no mutual-defense pact in effect for the Quad. It's not a rigid framework and nations are free to unlink themselves from specific quad initiatives.
Significance for India
For India, it is an important pillar of stability in the Indo-Pacific region. It provides security in the Indian Ocean and helps to achieve a rule-based multipolar world.
It plays a significant role in countering China’s economic and military rise. A huge chunk of Chinese trade happens via the Indian ocean routes that pass through maritime chokepoints. If Chinese hostilities rise on the borders, India can take the support of the other Quad nations to disrupt Chinese trade. India can even take the help of its naval front and conduct strategic explorations in the Indo-Pacific region. India can also ensure Security and growth for all in the region.
Conclusion
The Quad has a positive, practical agenda to respond to the region’s most pressing challenges, including security, climate change, infrastructure, disaster relief, and so on. As long as tensions with China remain, the Quad’s agenda is likely to expand as the democracies of the Indo-Pacific seek to balance China’s growing power.
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