QUAD

Posted 15 Apr 2024

5 min read

Why in the news?

US House of Representatives has passed ‘Strengthen US-Australia-India-Japan Cooperation’ or Strengthening the Quad Act.

Key highlights of the Act

The act aims to strengthen joint cooperation between Quad’s four members, to promote a free, open, inclusive, resilient and healthy Indo-Pacific. Under the act:

Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group: Established to facilitate closer cooperation between the US, Australia, India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region.
Guidelines for annual meetings and group leadership have been established.
US Secretary of State to submit a status update on Quad’s activities and a strategy for bolstering cooperationon issues like-
- preparing for the next pandemic,
- co-developing new innovative technologies, and
- deepening economic engagement and integration.

About QUAD

About: Quad, formally Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a plurilateral framework comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the USA.
Purpose: It brings together these four countries with a shared commitment to work as a force for global good and to support an open, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is prosperous and resilient.
Working: Practical work of the Quad is taken forward through following six Leader level Working Groups on following six areas.

Area	Steps taken
Climate	Clean Energy Supply Chains Initiative was announced to facilitate research and development and support energy transition. Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) to increase access to early warning systems and climate data etc.
Critical and Emerging Technologies	Cooperation with Palau to establish a deployment of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) capabilities, the first in the Pacific. Launched Quad Investors’ Network (QUIN) as private sector-led platform to facilitate investments in strategic technologies.
Cyber	Quad Joint Principles for Secure Software and for Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure were released, to strengthen defences against cyber threats.
Health Security Partnership	To evolve Quad Vaccine Partnership into a more comprehensive Health Security Partnership to promote coordination and collaboration.
Infrastructure	Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Program, to empower more than 1,800 of region’s infrastructure practitioners to design, build quality infrastructure. Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, to strengthen cable systems in the Indo-Pacific
Space	To exchange Earth observation satellite data and analysis to help countries better adapt to climate change, prepare for natural disasters, and manage oceans and marine resources.

Significance of Quad for India

India’s active engagement in Indo-Pacific: Through QUAD, India can project greater influence in the Indo-Pacificregion, which accounts for half of global maritime trade and over 60% of global Gross Domestic Product and strategically important for India.
Boost to Act East: QUAD contributes to India's strategic objectives of strengthening ties with countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia, ensuring maritime security, fostering economic engagement, and promoting peace and stability in the region.
Defence engagements: India’s bilateral security and defence ties with Australia, Japan and United States provide a significant boost to India’s military capability.
Diverse areas of cooperation: For example, Australia, India, and Japan have announced their intention to launch a supply chain resilience initiative (SCRI).
Bolstering bilateral cooperation: India’s bilateral relations with ‘like-minded’ countries with the backdrop of the Quad can be strengthened further through information sharing agreements, arms exchange agreements, defence ties, and much more.
Economic advantage: Economically, the Quad will also make India a preferred destination for investment, with supply chain disruptions caused by dependence on China.

Other Quad initiatives

Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness for providing near-real-time, cost-effective maritime domain data to maritime agencies in the region, etc.
STEM Fellowships to build ties among the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) leaders.
Quad Debt Management Resource Portal to address challenges of unsustainable debt financing.
Quad Partnership on HADR (an India-led initiative) to provide timely and effective assistance in the Indo-Pacific region in the event of future incidents.

Challenges to QUAD

Less institutionalisation: In its current form, the Quad remains relatively lightly institutionalized. It is neither a security arrangement nor a trade group which could undermine its credibility and influence.
Seen as cold war mentality: China has criticized the Quad diplomacy as reflective of a "Cold War mentality" and an attempt to establish an "Asian NATO”.
Maintain its unique character: Defining the Quad’s purpose as distinct from other regional groupings like ASEAN, Pacific Islands Forum, and IORA has proven to be difficult.
Problem of delivery: Quad is criticised for its inability to effectively promote its efforts. For example, it could not deliver promised “800 million COVID-19 vaccine doses”.

India’s concerns within Quad

Possibility of reactivating tensions with China on different fronts: India is the only country among the Quad members that shares its borders with China. This makes it imperative for India to ensure that Quad is not reduced to an anti-China grouping.
India’s flexible approach: India continues to nurture flexible partnerships with countries, including some that are antagonistic toward the Quad, like BRICS and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation).
Impact on other partners: India’s involvement in Quad could risk alienating other important Indian partners like Russia and Iran.

Way ahead

Focus on regional prosperity: Quad serves as a pivotal stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific, facilitating the evolution of an inclusive rules-based order. To achieve this, clarity on its contributions to regional prosperity and flexibility on security matters are essential.
Augment existing organisations in region: QUAD, rather than replacing, should seek to augment other multi-laterals or regional organizations and provide an inclusive vision for cooperation.
Engage other players: QUAD needs to proactively engage with regional partners in initiatives that resonate with their respective interests and priorities.
Balancing clarity and ambiguity: By not explicitly highlighting traditional security concerns, such as potential Chinese military actions, the Quad can focus on areas of shared interests while minimizing the risk of direct confrontation with China.