The Quad, short for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, was formed in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but the alliance only took off when it reconvened in November 2017. strengthening collective maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
The Biden administration brought the Quad leaders together for the first time on Friday in a remarkable demonstration that it will not only build on the momentum the alliance has gained over the past three years, but also make it the centerpiece of the Indo US Pacific strategy. .
At one time, holding a leader-level Quad meeting seemed inscrutable, given China’s protests that the alliance would focus on controlling the emerging superpower. The Covid-19 pandemic, combined with China’s aggressive behavior in recent years, underscored the need for powerful democracies to work together to protect the health of their people and the prosperity of their economies, along with the rules-based order that has ruled the Indian Ocean. Pacific and beyond for decades.
China’s recent clashes with India and Australia have bolstered the Quad’s benefits. In early May 2020, it was clear that China had taken military positions in various locations along the controversial border with India. Two brawls broke out between the Indian and Chinese forces, and on June 15, a major clash between troops in the Galwan River Valley resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops. After years of mounting tensions between Australia and China, Australia’s call for an investigation into the origins of Covid-19 has prompted China to suspend imports from four of Australia’s largest meat processors and impose duties on Australian barley. A stronger quad could have deterred China from such hostile military and economic behavior.
Focus on pandemic recovery
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the dangers of relying solely on Chinese manufacturing for critical supplies such as medical equipment. As a result, the Quad countries have been thinking about how they could work together to build alternative global supply chains that bypass China. Australia, Japan and India announced the trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative last fall. Identifying alternative supply chains for drugs and critical minerals has also been a topic of discussion in the Quad.
One of the key initiatives from Friday’s meeting is a plan for the United States, Japan and Australia to invest in India’s capacity to produce more Covid-19 vaccines. India already produces 60% of all vaccines sold around the world and the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has the capacity to produce 2.4 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine per day. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech has developed its own homegrown Covid-19 vaccine that India approved for emergency use this year.
Maritime security
While the Quad provides a good forum for coordinating health security and economic recovery policies after a pandemic, maritime safety in the Indo-Pacific is perhaps the most pressing issue facing the four Quad countries.
The four countries want to ensure that Indo-Pacific seaways remain open to unfettered trade and deter provocative Chinese naval activity in the South and East China Seas. To maintain this freedom of navigation and prevent maritime encroachment and harassment, the Quad countries must pool their resources and expand information and data exchange to improve maritime surveillance. Australia took part in the annual Indian Malabar Naval Exercise – which also included the United States and Japan – for the first time in 13 years last fall, marking a significant step forward in maritime security cooperation in all four countries.
Growth of the quad
The Quad does not have to remain an exclusive group. It is valuable to involve South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and others in the Quad discussions by topic. Last spring, former Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun held several biweekly meetings on Covid-19, 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 meet the challenges associated with an emerging China and to strengthen its own ability to compete effectively when it comes to economic growth, diplomatic influence or military might . This multilateral cooperation is also necessary to meet health, prosperity, peace and regional stability challenges as China expands its military and technological capabilities. Countries interested in protecting the free and open Indo-Pacific order will need to act collectively, synchronize their individual efforts and pool resources to maintain peace and stability in the region.