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What the article is about?
- Talks about the potential of QUAD and way ahead.
Syllabus: GS-II International relations, Regional grouping
QUAD:
- The quadrilateral security dialogue includes Japan, India, United States and Australia.
- The grouping traces its genesis to 2004 when the four countries came together to coordinate relief operations in the aftermath of the tsunami.
- It then met for the first time in 2007 on the sidelines of the ASEAN
- The intention was to enhance maritime cooperation between the four nations.
- Quad is an opportunity for like-minded countries to share notes and collaborate on projects of mutual interest.
- Members share a vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific. Each is involved in development and economic projects as well as in promoting maritime domain awareness and maritime security.
- The central driving force of the Quad is to counter China’s growing expansionism and belligerence.
- The Quad agenda now covers nine sectors:
- vaccine partnership and health security, climate action, critical and emerging technologies, cooperation on infrastructure, cyber security, space cooperation, education and people-to-people ties, maritime domain awareness, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
- On infrastructure, a new commitment was made at Tokyo for the Quad to extend over $50 billion in investment and assistance to the Indo-Pacific countries over the next five years.
- The Common Statement of Principles on Critical Technology Supply Chains is significant, as it concerns cooperation on semiconductors.
- The atmospherics of the summit improved significantly after the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) a day earlier.
- The joint announcement was made by the Quad, seven ASEAN member-states (excluding Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos), South Korea and New Zealand.
Way Ahead:
- India’s constructive participation in the Tokyo summit and agreement to join IPEF demonstrated commitment to strengthening its strategic partnerships in order to push back China’s dominance.
- At the same time, New Delhi has agreed to the expansion of BRICS membership.
- This simultaneous engagement with the Quad and BRICS is New Delhi’s strategic autonomy in full play.
- India’s presidency of the G20 in 2023 and the likelihood of India hosting the Quad summit in 2024 will ensure that it follows a calibrated policy and stays on track, as every major step will attract international attention.
