The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is an informal strategic group of four countries which are India, Japan, Australia and the United States.
What is Quad?
During the Indian Ocean tsunami India, Japan, Australia and the US came together and formed an informal alliance to collaborate on relief efforts. In 2007 the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe for the first time put the idea of a formalized alliance among the four nations. Democracy was supposed to be the uniting factor among these four and maritime security in the Indo Pacific was the main concern of the group. Unfortunately, this idea didn’t work out as China had apprehensions about it. The group was being perceived in Anti-China light which made India and Australia resist.
In 2017, the idea resurfaces again, this time rising China threat had become very real for all four nations. Quad is revived again with broader objectives and focuses on a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific. Quad remains a loose formation as its functioning resembles aphorism. It doesn’t have a secretariat or a permanent body to make decisions nor there are timely fixed summits.
After three years of irrelevancy, in 2020 the group managed to conduct a joint military exercise. This came in the background of the Chinese invasion of the Indian border that took the lives of 20 brave Indian soldiers. India took a big step to counter the Chinese adventurism and Australia was invited to Malabar Naval joint military exercises.
Objectives:
In March 2021 summit Quad leaders released a joint statement on ‘The spirit of Quad’.
Summarizing the Joint statement, it talks about 1) the Vision of the free and open Indo Pacific.
2) International rule-based order.
3) Response to Covid 19 vaccine availability and progress on the general health of the people.
4) Combating climate change.
5) Efforts to address challenges in cyberspace, critical technology, counter-terrorism, quality infrastructure investment and humanitarian assistance.
In addition to all these goals containing China remains one of the important motives of Quad. It is not mentioned directly but implicitly countering China has been always been on the agenda.
Chinese response:
- The Chinese government has been confrontational about Quad since its formation. In 2018, the Chinese foreign minister called it a “headline grabbing idea”. China perceives Quad as a strategy to encircle China and control its influence in the sea.
After the recent Quad Summits, China has termed the Quad as Asian Nato and accused the United States of starting Cold war politics. In response all Quad countries have maintained that the Quad is not a military alliance to take on a particular country.
Conclusion:
As China takes a greater place at the global stage and the American hegemony declines, the international order is going to witness intense power politics. The world will see the ascendancy of Realpolitik once again.
There are going to emerge more alliances and treaties. It is in the interest of the individual states to traverse the path wisely.
Edited By : Aaradhana Singh
Read More – Quad leaders pledge on open and free Indo-Pacific, climate change policy
