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Leaders of Quad to hold first summit today: Here’s what’s on agenda

Mar 12, 2021 11:08 AM IST

For India, the summit will help build on crucial partnerships to address challenges across the Indo-Pacific, which is home to some of New Delhi’s key partners

The leaders of the Quad—which includes India, Australia, Japan and the US—will hold their first summit on Friday to decide on specific areas of cooperation to boost post-pandemic recovery and maritime security across the Indo-Pacific. Here’s a closer look at the summit and what’s on the agenda.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan, along with other Quad Foreign Ministers, in Tokyo in October 2020. (PTI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan, along with other Quad Foreign Ministers, in Tokyo in October 2020. (PTI)

What is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad?

The genesis of the Quad is a “core group” that was formed by the four countries in 2004 to coordinate their response to the Indian Ocean tsunami after India emerged as the first responder. After several meetings of senior officials, the grouping was sidelined by 2007, largely because of the concerns of the US and Australia about its impact on their relations with China.

With the emergence of the Indo-Pacific as a key strategic region and a growing convergence between the four countries on key challenges in the region, the Quad was revived as a loose grouping in 2017 at the level of senior officials. As India’s comfort levels grew and all four countries faced challenges from an increasingly assertive China, the Quad was upgraded to the level of foreign ministers in September 2019.

Also Watch | QUAD summit on 12 March: The agenda, significance & the China factor



What’s different about the Quad Summit?

The Quad has never even issued a joint statement after any of its meetings, reflecting the slightly ambiguous nature of the grouping. So, for the leaders of the four countries to come together for a summit less than two months after US President Joe Biden assumed office is a big deal.

India sees the Quad Summit as an opportunity for evolution because the grouping didn’t traditionally have definite areas of cooperation and restricted itself to discussing principles and shared strategic approaches. For India, the summit will help build on crucial partnerships to address challenges across the Indo-Pacific, which is home to some of New Delhi’s key partners.

What’s on the agenda for the Quad Summit?

The Quad leaders, in addition to discussing regional and global issues of shared interest and practical cooperation to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, will exchange views on post-Covid-19 recovery, resilient supply and production chains, cooperation on emerging and critical technologies, maritime security, and climate change.

There is also, as former ambassador Rajiv Bhatia, distinguished fellow for foreign policy studies at Gateway House, puts it, the unstated part of the agenda —the challenge posed by an assertive and aggressive China or the “dragon in the room”.

All members of the Quad are currently dealing with challenges emanating from China. India has been locked in a military standoff with China in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control since May last year; Australia has faced the impact of China’s escalating trade sanctions and has concerns about Chinese influence within the country; Japan has witnessed countless incursions by Chinese vessels in waters around the Senkaku Islands and has concerns about the Chinese Coast Guard law that authorises the use of force; the US administration has identified China as its main security and trade challenge.

What are the expected outcomes of the Quad Summit?

The launch of a Vaccine Initiative is being seen as the most significant deliverable of the summit. Vaccines developed in the US will be made in India, the world’s largest producer of vaccines. This initiative will be funded by Japan and the US and will add to India’s capacity as the “pharmacy to the world”, while Australia will provide logistics support to ship vaccines across the region.

The Quad is also expected to launch a new initiative for the refining and production of rare earth metals, the production of which is currently controlled by China. These metals are critical for products such as mobile phones and batteries for electric vehicles.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken on Friday about the four countries pursuing a “new energy economy right across the Indo-Pacific”.

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