The leaders of the Australia-India-Japan-United States Quad met on March 12 in a virtual summit.

As per joint statement four countries committed to establishing three new working groups: on vaccines, emerging tech, and climate.  The Quad have announced a plan to expand coronavirus vaccine manufacturing capacity in India.

The Joint Statement strive to achieve  Indo-pacific region free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion. As key challenges in front of the Quad, the statement notes “economic and health impacts of COVID-19,” climate change, and “shared challenges, including in cyber space, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, and humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief as well as maritime domains.”

LEARNING FROM HOME/WITHOUT CLASSES/BASICS

The quadrilateral security dialogue includes Japan, India, United States and Australia.

All four nations find a common ground, share a vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific, of being the democratic nations and common interests of unhindered maritime trade and security.

Free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large; Tackle common challenges of terrorism and proliferation; Upholding the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and respect for international law, freedom of navigation and overflight.

INDIA AND QUAD

India’s approach to the Quadrilateral consultative forum, which comprises Australia, India, Japan and the United States, reflects New Delhi’s plural foreign policy arch in an evolving Indo-Pacific construct.

Balancing China’s growing outreach with the Indo-Pacific region while concurrently affirming bilateralism with Beijing explains India’s strategic autonomy and pluralism in its foreign policy

To protect its own maritime interests which are being threatened by the rising Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 

  It will serve two geo-strategic goals of India viz. countering China’s aggressive on border with India’s assertive in the maritime domain and emerge as a net security provider in the region.

The maritime sphere is wide open to India to undertake coalition building, rule setting, and other forms of strategic exploration as right now Quad is more about cooperation in maritime security and climate change and not so much into territorial talks.

It gives New Delhi a powerful platform to advance its interests in East Asia, coordinate strategies with powerful friends and add more strength to its Act East initiative.

The geostrategic term “Indo-Pacific” as opposed to “Asia-Pacific” has been gaining currency. Such an alliance would be a useful counter to China’s string of pearls and its all-weather friendship with Pakistan.