NEWS The productive dialogue and substantive joint statement of the summit show the significance of QUAD’s grouping

CONTEXT  The maiden Quadrilateral Security Dialogue summit of the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. on March 12 was a defining moment in Asian geopolitics.

WHAT IS QUAD? 

Quad is “a flexible group of like-minded partners dedicated to advancing a common vision and to ensuring peace and prosperity”. It includes four countries namely – India, U.S.A, Australia and Japan.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MEETING

• It was a meeting at the highest political level, occasioned a productive dialogue, and concluded with a substantive joint statement is indicative of its immediate significance.
• The summit showed that the “Quad has come of age”, as underlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• If the group successfully leads to tangible action and visible cooperation, it will impact the whole region.

JOURNEY OF CHANGE

• The Quad is no longer a loose coalition.
• The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 triggered cooperation among the navies and governments of the Quad powers.
• Later they sought to forge diplomatic cooperation on regional issues in 2006-08, but gave up mainly because China objected to it and the hostility to China was not yet a potent enough glue.
• This began to change in 2017 when Beijing’s behaviour turned hostile, climaxing in multiple challenges in 2020, including its adventurism in eastern Ladakh.
• As a result the Foreign Ministers of the Quad met thrice between September 2019 and February 2021.

FIVE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MEETING

This meet highlights a more sophisticated approach, with enhanced emphasis by the U.S. on carrying its allies and strategic partners together. This is evident from following five reasons:

• Unlike the past debates over differing visions of the Indo-Pacific, the joint statement struck a neat compromise. It refers to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific, which have been elaborated as – “free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion”.
• The summit leaders have secured an adequate alignment of their approaches towards China, even without mentioning the ‘C’ word in the document by reinforcing phrases like “security challenges” and “the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas” in the joint statement. Thus, the Quad members have preferred a smart blend of competition, cooperation and confrontation.
• The Quad has placed a premium on winning the battle for the hearts and minds of people in the Indo-Pacific region. The aim is to convince the nations of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Indian Ocean region that the Quad is a benign grouping, committed to solutions for their development and well-being.
• The establishment of three working groups on vaccine partnership; climate change; and critical and emerging technologies (such as telecom and biotechnology) and their new standards, innovation and supply chains is a welcome step. The careful choice of themes reflects a deep understanding of the long-term challenge posed by China and has global implications.
• The leaders have agreed to meet in-person later this year, possibly at an international event within the region. Foreign ministers will gather at least once a year; other relevant officials, more often. Thus, will grow the habits of the Quad working together for a common vision and with agreed modalities for cooperation. 

OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS

• The summit has been watched closely by the ASEAN capitals. A few of them may express cautious welcome.
• The Chinese see this meet in negative terms, targeting New Delhi in particular, such that a Chinese government mouthpiece  has claimed India as “a negative asset of BRICS and SCO”.
• Among other issues discussed, the commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea as per the United Nations Security Council resolutions was reiterated – a reference to the importance of South Korea as a partner of the Quad.
• In Myanmar, Washington heed wise counsel from Asia. The call “to restore democracy and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience”. It may help ASEAN in carrying forward its diplomatic initiative to promote reconciliation in Myanmar.

The summit and ‘The Spirit of the Quad’ have represented a giant leap forward. Now is the time to back political commitment with a strong mix of resolve, energy, stamina and the fresh ideas of stakeholders and experts outside of government to fulfil the promise of the Quad.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-giant-leap-forward-for-the-quad/article34076927.ece