Quad Marks 20 Years of Cooperation

• 02 Jan 2025

For Prelims: Quad, Indo-Pacific, Malabar exercise, Information Fusion Center,  Cancer Moonshot, Artificial Intelligence, String of Pearls, Blue Dot Network, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework 

For Mains: Significance of Quad in India’s foreign policy, Significance of Quad in the Indo-Pacific region, India and its Bilateral Relations 

Source: IE 

Why in News?  

 The Quad Foreign Ministers marked the 20^th anniversary of Quad cooperation, reaffirming their commitment to a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific amid China’s growing assertiveness. 

 

What are the Key Facts About Quad? 

• About: Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue  is a strategic  forum of the US, Japan, India, and Australia aimed at regional security and economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. 
• Objectives: Promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, upholding democracy, human rights, and rule of law, and countering China's expanding influence. 
• Formation of Quad: 
  • 2004 Tsunami Origins: The group’s roots lie in the 2004 tsunami relief efforts when India, the US, Japan, and Australia collaborated for rescue operations. 
  • 2007 Formation: The Quad formally emerged in 2007, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposing the idea. 
    • Australia withdrew in 2008 due to Chinese pressure and regional tensions. 
  • Revival in 2017: Enhanced US-Australia military ties led to Australia's return. The first official Quad talks were held in the Philippines in 2017. 
  • Malabar Exercise:  The Malabar exercises began in 1992 as a bilateral naval drill between India and the US. Japan joined in 2015, and Australia participated in Malabar 2020. 
• Nature of Quad: The Quad operates without a formal alliance structure, secretariat, or decision-making body. 
  • The forum is sustained through regular meetings, including ministerial and leader-level summits, as well as information exchanges and military drills. 
• Key Initiatives of the Quad: 
  • Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA): Enhances real-time monitoring of illegal fishing and maritime activities. 
    • IPMDA collaborates with regional bodies like the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and India’s Information Fusion Center–Indian Ocean Region. 
  • Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI):  Supports capacity-building for maritime security and law enforcement training. 
  • Indo-Pacific Logistics Network: Aims to leverage shared airlift and logistical capacities for rapid disaster response in the region. 
  • Quad Cancer Moonshot: Targets cervical cancer prevention and treatment, with plans to save hundreds of thousands of lives over coming decades. 
  • Quad Ports of the Future Partnership: Develops sustainable and resilient port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific, with India hosting a Regional Ports and Transportation Conference in 2025. 
  • Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN): Quad with Open RAN facilitates secure and resilient 5G ecosystems. 
  • Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE): Uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and sensing to improve agricultural practices and empower farmers in the Indo-Pacific. 
  • BioExplore Initiative: A USD 2 million project to leverage AI for biological research, with applications in healthcare, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture. 
  • Semiconductor Supply Chain Contingency Network: Enhances collaboration to mitigate risks in semiconductor supply chains. 
  • Quad Fellowship: Funds graduate  STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education in member countries and recently expanded to include ASEAN students. 
    • India’s Quad Scholarships program supports 50 engineering students from the Indo-Pacific annually. 
  • Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG): Focuses on countering the misuse of unmanned aerial systems, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats (CBRN), and the internet for terrorist purposes. 

What is the Significance of Quad for India? 

• Maritime Security: Ensures India's maritime interests are safeguarded by promoting freedom of navigation and countering piracy and illegal fishing. 
  • Joint naval exercises enhance interoperability and maritime domain awareness. 
• Strategic Importance: Quad provides a platform to address challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly countering China's assertive policies like the "String of Pearls." 
  • Quad aligns with India's Act East Policy to strengthen ties with East and Southeast Asia. 
• Economic Opportunities: Encourages economic cooperation through initiatives like the Blue Dot Network and Supply Chain Resilience Initiative. 
  • Post-Covid, India has the opportunity to attract manufacturing units shifting from China, enhancing supply chain resilience in the global economy. 
• Scientific Collaboration: The Quad Fellowship encourages academic and scientific research in STEM fields. 
• People-to-People Ties: Enhances cultural and academic exchanges, boosting India’s soft power diplomacy. 

 What is the Relevance of Quad in Contemporary Global Context? 

• Quad’s Continued Relevance 
  • Strategic Significance: The Quad remains a crucial platform to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in contested regions like the South China Sea. 
    • The Quad pledged support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, highlighting its role in collaborating with existing regional frameworks. 
  • Maritime Security: Initiatives like the IPMDA enhance member countries' abilities to monitor illegal activities and protect their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). 
  • Diverse Agenda: The Quad addresses multiple issues beyond security, such as health, technology, infrastructure, and climate change, showing its adaptability and multi-dimensional focus. 
    • Programs like the Quad Cancer Moonshot, pandemic preparedness initiatives, and climate adaptation measures demonstrate its practical contributions to regional stability. 
  • Institutional Strengthening: Regular summits, ministerial dialogues, have institutionalized the Quad, ensuring its sustainability and ability to evolve. 
  • People-Centric Initiatives: Fellowships, scholarships, and people-to-people ties strengthen the Quad’s soft power and build trust in the region. 
• Challenges to Quad’s Relevance: 
  • Lack of formal structure: The Quad lacks a secretariat, or permanent decision-making body, limiting coordinated action and consensus on critical issues and hampers its ability to address global challenges effectively. 
  • Divergent Priorities: Quad members have varied national interests. For instance, India’s non-alignment policy and reluctance to join formal military alliances can limit the grouping's strategic cohesion. 
  • Security vs. Development: While the US and Japan focus heavily on countering China. 
    • India and Australia majorly emphasize development-oriented goals, leading to differing approaches. 
  • China’s Growing Influence: Despite Quad efforts, China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific continues to grow, especially through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and investments in Pacific Island nations. 
  • Resource Constraints: Many Quad initiatives require substantial funding and institutional support.  
    • Delays or insufficient resource allocation could hinder their implementation and impact. 
  • Overlaps with Other Groupings: The Quad’s objectives often overlap with other multilateral forums like ASEAN, Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS), and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), leading to redundancy and dilution of focus. 

 Way Forward 

• Institutionalization: Formalize mechanisms for decision-making and implementation to improve efficiency and accountability. 
  • Strengthen ties with regional organizations like ASEAN and ensure complementary, not competing, efforts. 
• Quad Plus: Expanding the Quad to include South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, ASEAN, and other regions would enhance inclusivity.  
  • Focusing on climate change, healthcare, and disaster resilience, along with strengthening institutional mechanisms, would boost regional support and effectiveness. 
• Enhanced Resource Commitment: Secure robust funding for initiatives like infrastructure, digital connectivity, and renewable energy projects to ensure long-term impact.  

Drishti Mains Question: 

Discuss the strategic significance of the Quad for India. How does it help in addressing China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region?

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Mains 

Q. The new tri-nation partnership AUKUS is aimed at countering China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. Is it going to supersede the existing partnerships in the region? Discuss the strength and impact of AUKUS in the present scenario. (2021)

Q.Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is transforming itself into a trade bloc from a military alliance, in present times Discuss. (2020)