On Saturday, the leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are set to unveil new security initiatives in the Indian Ocean, a move aimed at bolstering cooperation among the Quad nations amidst shared concerns over China’s growing influence in the region. The announcement comes as U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the Quad summit near Wilmington, Delaware, ahead of his departure from office following the November 5 U.S. presidential election.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, will meet Biden to reinforce their collective commitment to the Quad, a grouping that has taken on heightened importance in recent years. This marks the Quad’s sixth leaders’ meeting since the grouping was elevated to the summit level by Biden in 2021.
Key Announcements
During the summit, the Quad leaders are expected to announce expanded joint coast guard operations in the Indian Ocean. According to senior Biden administration officials, personnel from India, Japan, and Australia will collaborate with the U.S. coast guard, spending time on a U.S. vessel as part of these operations.
Additionally, the leaders are expected to announce new military logistics cooperation initiatives aimed at enhancing operational capabilities and coordination among the four nations.
Another key element of the summit is the expansion of the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, originally launched two years ago. The partnership will now include the Indian Ocean region, further strengthening maritime security in areas of strategic importance to India.
The Quad is also set to enhance efforts to provide critical and security technologies to Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, regions that have become focal points of competition with China. These technologies include the development of an open radio access network.
On the health front, the Quad will announce a new initiative focused on combating cervical cancer, signaling the group’s commitment to broader global health cooperation.
Implications for India and China
Analysts in India view these new maritime security initiatives as a clear message to China, particularly in light of its increasing pressure on territorial rivals in the South and East China Seas. With India not being part of any formal military alliance, the Quad’s focus on security has raised concerns in the past about militarization of the Indo-Pacific. However, recent Chinese maritime actions appear to be shifting India’s stance.
Lisa Curtis, an Asia policy expert and former U.S. government official, said that India's growing concern over China’s maritime aggression may be prompting New Delhi to take a more open stance toward Quad security cooperation.
“India has traditionally been cautious about the Quad being seen as a military alliance, but recent developments could be changing the equation,” Curtis said.
Institutionalizing the Quad
Biden’s decision to host this summit is seen as an effort to institutionalize the Quad ahead of his exit from office, as well as the departure of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida, who is stepping down after a leadership contest next week. With elections looming in both Australia and the U.S., officials stress that the Quad’s continuity and bipartisan support are key.
“We’re expecting this Quad summit to demonstrate that the Quad partners are more strategically aligned than ever before, and that the Quad is here to stay,” a senior U.S. official said.
Australian Prime Minister Albanese echoed these sentiments, highlighting shared concerns between Canberra and Washington over China’s growing security ambitions in the Pacific Islands. Albanese emphasized that climate change and energy security would also be key points of discussion at the summit.
The Quad’s continued focus on security, technology, and public goods for the Indo-Pacific, with India playing a pivotal role, signals a firm commitment from the group to maintain regional stability and counterbalance China’s rising influence.
0 Comments