The Quad, short for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, was formed after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but the alliance did not take off until it met again in November 2017. A series of meetings began periodicals focused on everything from the development of quality infrastructure to improving collective maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
The Biden Administration brought Quad leaders together for the first time on Friday in a remarkable demonstration that will not only build on the momentum the alliance has gained over the past three years, but also make it the center of the ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States. .
Holding a leadership-level Quad meeting once seemed unfathomable, given protests from China that the alliance would focus on containing the rise of the superpower. The Covid-19 pandemic, combined with China’s aggressive behavior in recent years, highlighted the need for powerful democracies to work together to protect the health of their populations and the prosperity of their economies along with order based on the rules that has ruled the Indians. Pacific and beyond in recent decades.
China’s recent clashes with India and Australia have bolstered Quad’s profits. By early May 2020, it was clear that China had taken military positions in several different locations on its disputed border with India. There were two fights between Indian and Chinese forces, and on June 15 a major clash of troops in the Galwan River Valley killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese forces. After years of slow-fire tensions between Australia and China, Australia’s call for an investigation into the origins of Covid-19 prompted China to suspend imports of four of Australia’s largest meat processors and imposing import duties on Australian barley. A stronger Quad could have deterred China from such hostile economic and military behavior.
Focus on pandemic recovery
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the danger of relying exclusively on Chinese manufacturing for critical supplies, such as medical equipment. As a result, Quad countries have considered how they could work together to build alternative global supply chains that would bypass China. Australia, Japan and India announced in the fall the trilateral supply chain resistance initiative. The identification of alternative supply chains for pharmaceuticals and critical minerals has also been a topic of discussion in the Quad.
One of the main initiatives at Friday’s meeting is a plan for the United States, Japan and Australia to invest in India’s ability to manufacture more Covid-19 vaccines. India already manufactures 60% of all vaccines sold worldwide and the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has the capacity to produce 2.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine per day. . Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech has developed its own self-produced Covid-19 vaccine that India approved for emergency use this year.
Maritime safety
While the Quad provides a good forum for coordinating policies related to health security and post-pandemic economic recovery, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific is perhaps the most pressing issue in the four Quad countries.
The four countries want to ensure that Indo-Pacific sea lanes remain open to unhindered trade and deter provocative Chinese naval activity in the South and East Seas of China. To maintain this freedom of navigation and prevent maritime invasions and intimidation, Quad countries need to pool their resources and expand the exchange of information and data to improve maritime surveillance. Australia participated for the first time in 13 years in the Malabar Indian naval exercise, which also included the United States and Japan, for the first time in 13 years, marking a major step forward in security cooperation maritime in the four countries.
Growth of the Quad
The Quad does not have to be an exclusive grouping. There is value in bringing South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and others to Quad discussions on a per-issue basis. Last spring, former Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun held several fortnightly meetings at Covid-19, which were attended by officials from the Quad countries, along with South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand.
The Biden Administration is right to strengthen the Quad as a way to help meet the challenges associated with China’s rise and strengthen its own ability to compete effectively when it comes to economic growth, diplomatic influence, or military power. . This multilateral cooperation is also needed to meet the challenges of health, prosperity, peace and regional stability as China advances its military and technological capabilities. Countries interested in protecting the free and open Indo-Pacific order will need to act collectively, synchronizing their individual efforts and pooling resources to maintain peace and stability in the region.