Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japan PM Kishida Fumio, and Australia’s Anthony Albanese – met for the fourth in-person Quadrilateral Dialogue in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday. In a joint statement, they said the four-member Quad is a “force for good” and is “more strategically aligned” than ever before.
Deploying the strongest language it has used so far against China’s activities in the Indo-Pacific, without mentioning China, Quad’s leaders have said they are “seriously concerned” about the situation in the South and East China Seas, listed out specific actions that warrant concern, and backed international legal frameworks and dispute resolution verdicts that Beijing has rejected.
Key Takeaways
The four leaders have launched a Quad Cancer Moonshot in a bid to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in the Indo-Pacific, with an initial focus on cervical cancer.
The first-ever “Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission” will be launched in 2025, which they said will improve interoperability and advance maritime safety between the Indian Coast Guard and its US, Japan, and Australian counterparts.
Quad leaders reaffirmed that “maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully” and in accordance with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. A Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project was also launched today to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region.
In the backdrop of China’s aggression against Philippines in particular in the maritime space, Quad condemned the “the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including increasing use of dangerous maneuvers”. Quad opposed efforts to “disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities”. The “Quad Ports of the Future Partnership” was also announced to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific.
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