At a joint press conference on Tuesday commemorating the Quad’s 20th anniversary, the foreign ministers of India, Australia, Japan, and the United States pledged to defense the Indo-Pacific’s case of liberal democracy and economic freedom. In particular, the topic of multilateral cooperation was underlined as one of the crucial aspects for the future development of the region with respect to such sectors as security, the fight against terrorism, as well as with regard to new and developing technologies. Stemming from the catastrophe of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Quad has expanded over the years from a forum for senior officials to annual meetings for foreign ministers in 2019 and to a leaders’ summit in 2021.
Originally known as the ‘Quad,’ the organization was initiated as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue at the initiative of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with support from former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe. It was his vision and that of his wife to develop cooperation between the Indian and Pacific Oceans in order to respond to the challenges of the region and encourage cooperation.
Four foreign ministers said in their communiqué that the Quad has now evolved from a minimally specified focus of disaster relief alone but is a fully realized partnership. The countries now collaborate on a variety of interests in areas such as climate change, health, stem education and concerns, and cyber security. Further, they also increased their engagements in infrastructure protection, maritime situational awareness, and counter-terrorism.
Although the Quad has been sailing on an inclusive charter, the barons of this association are now perceiving it more as a counter to China’s rising presence in the Indo-Pacific region, especially its Belt and Road plan. The grouping’s performance offers other options for the endangered states, with Beijing unveiling a “debt trap.” This has not been well received by China which tends to see the Quad as an attempt by the four countries to form an “Asian NATO,” but the grouping meets annually in order to advance its welcomed positive providing for the region.
The joint statement clearly supported ASEAN centrality and unity, and the AOIP focused on a partnership approach.
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