Current Affairs 2022: Objectives of QUAD Group

By Yash Singhal

The primary objective of QUAD is to work on free, open and prosperous trade in the Indo-Pacific region. Read further to understand the issues related to the QUAD groupings

QUAD is termed for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), its members are India, USA, Australia and Japan. It is based on the primary objective to work on free, open and prosperous trade in the Indo-Pacific region. Though this security dialogue was initiated and founded by Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan in support of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Though incepted in 2007, its first official talks were held in 2017.

Principles of QUAD

QUAD is based on the thinking of trade route in the strategic sea route, especially in the Indo-Pacific region under which China claims its full control on the Nine-Dash line in the South China Sea, free from any political or military control. Its core motive is to create free trade and reduce Chinese dominance in the South China Sea. This strategic partnership also offers alternative debt financing for the countries in this region. QUAD members also exchange information on critical issues like security, technology, infra, etc.

In addition to that, to give rise to the pursuit of the goal of QUAD, its members have intensified the military activities in the Indo-Pacific region and in alignment with the Malabar exercises that is one of the high-profile exercises. Also, 2+2 member bilateral ties between the member nations have become a regular diplomatic schedule.

Along with its core principles, QUAD is also concerned about global social security. This can be seen by the QUAD push for vaccine equality. For that, the QUAD manufacturing hub i.e. India is already supplying vaccines to the world and by its diplomatic policy of neighbourhood first, is a great push for QUAD’s vaccine partnership.

Significance for India

Checkmating china in its evolving disputed region is one of the most strategic counters to china. In case of any rising disputes with China on its borders, India can take support from other QUAD members. In 2021, US President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad members in virtual format, due to the ongoing pandemic. The summit vowed to strive for an Indo-Pacific region, that is free, open, inclusive, and unconstrained by powers.
Maritime space is strategically more important to China rather than expansionism and having disputes with every neighbour; hence, to counter this it’s common to have Chinese aggression against this group. Also, Chinese major trade happens through this route and their government wants full control in this region.
As India, located on the right at the centre of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical imagination can realise the vision of Broader Asia that can influence even outside its geological boundaries.

China's Stand on QUAD

Since its inception, China is on the mainline to oppose this organization as this group worked on the prosperity of free trade in the Indo-Pacific region, in which China’s interests gets the backdrop of its increasing military dominance in the resource-rich region. Also, military exercise and many other multi-lateral pacts aroused China to institutionally alienate China from the ASEAN group to the ‘Washington-centric’ ring of the alliance. Following a series of opposition and pressurising other nations having trade interests with China, in 2010, China successfully be able to pressurise Australia to withdraw from QUAD. Hence, China also pressurises other Asian countries like Bangladesh, etc to keep its distance from the 4 nations group (that china termed in its way).

Issues Related to Quad

Despite having a firm goal and mission, QUAD nations lack a defined vision and despite having potential for cooperation, they remain a mechanism without a defined strategy. Although India is the only member that is averse to the treaty alliance system this has slowed down the progress of the coalition to build a stronger quadrilateral engagement.

Way forward

Even when the QUAD is inactive during the period from 2010 to 2017, India seemed not to be interested to focus on the maritime sphere, but after the 2017 standoff on borders with China, India became keen to activate the coalition. So to have a strategic group alliance with the same, members need to have a clear vision on what they need to focus upon. Along with that India also need to have a maritime doctrine to evaluate the strategic partners required for the same. 
About the Author