Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the QUAD Leaders’ summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21 along with his counterparts from the United States, Japan, and Australia. The meeting came at a time when the world is witnessing conflicts, regional wars, and an unstable global order. It marked a significant as it aimed to address dire global issues and value strategic partnerships and cooperations, while at the same time concreting the group’s future trajectory. Over the years, it has been criticised for being a mere ‘talk shop’ or strategic ‘rhetoric.’ This article delves into the analysis of viewing QUAD from an analytical perspective, arguing the relevance in the anarchic international system.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the QUAD, is seen as a major ‘informal’ grouping that formally came into existence in 2007; since then, the leaders of the four countries have met several times. The group gained momentum back in the year 2017, when it was renovated with the changing attitude of China as a growing player in the region, namely the Indo-Pacific. This was the sixth edition of the Quad Leaders’ Summit that brought certain key decisions in spheres like maritime and health security, quality infrastructure, technologies, clean energy, cyber security, and investor networks, while at the same time addressing regional and global issues.
The Wilmington Declaration, released after the conclusion of the QUAD Leaders meeting, highlighted numerous decisions that will guide further working of the group. A comparison between the Wilmington Declaration and the ‘Hiroshima Declaration’ from last year, 2023, reveals an evident shift towards a more assertive language. The Quad Leaders, keeping in mind the 2022 Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), emphasised to the next level by announcing a new regional ‘Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI)’. It will enable the countries in the region to monitor and secure their waters, enforce laws, and hinder unlawful behaviour. It was also decided that India will host the inaugural MAITRI worship in 2025, with the aim of delivering cutting-edge capabilities and information in the years to come.
The Quad also announced an Indo-Pacific Logistic Network to ‘pursue shared airlift capacity’ among the four nations, ensuring collective logistics strengths to support during natural disasters. It was also decided in the meeting that the U.S. Coast Guard, Japanese Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard were planning to launch the first-ever ‘Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission’ in 2025 with a vision to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety and further missions in the Indo-Pacific.
The declaration also mentioned that the Indian city of Mumbai will host the inaugural ‘Regional Ports and Transportation Conference’ next year. As part of the efforts to improve undersea cable networks, Australia launched a Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre to develop workshops, policy, and regulatory assistance. In terms of technological advancement, the leaders initiated the plan to expand support of Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia. They also welcomed a memorandum of Cooperation between the member countries for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network.
When countries around the world focused on keeping an eye on the cyber dynamics, QUAD leaders heavily stressed the security dimension of the cyber domain. The leaders also acknowledged the common threats posed by state sponsored actors, cybercriminals, and other non-state malicious actors. The QUAD leaders expressed their severe ‘concern’ about the militarisation of disputed features and coercive actions in the South China Sea and at the same time emphasised the importance of adherence to international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Quad Countries also expressed concern for countries in conflicts; for instance, they mentioned the war raging in Ukraine or the Isreal-Hamas conflict, and the humanitarian crisis evolved because of the war.
Is QUAD really a Rhetoric?
Several experts and strategic thinkers have often argued that the QUAD lacks substance, being limited to high-level meetings and statements or just a mere talk show. Many criticised India’s reluctance in elevating QUAD to a military partnership. From India’s point of view, the objective is well defined at place, which can also be seen in the statements of India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar when he said, “Quad grouping is not a talk shop but a platform that generates practical outcomes.”
Before arguing the point of ‘militarization’ of the group or making it a group typically pointing towards China, it is really important to discuss certain points. For instance, the relationship that India, a member of the QUAD, holds with China, whether its economics or the border dispute, in both cases, India is trying to put things in order. As there is a saying, “With Visibility comes Vulnerability”, openly antagonising with the yardstick of QUAD may bring challenges to India’s doorstep. Rather, invest in infrastructure, capacity building, opening channels of communication, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific without destabilising the regional cohesion.
Secondly, the power asymmetry between the Quad Members itself and that of China is a point to be noted when it comes to power projection; pushing QUAD into a military group may further push Indo-Pacific into competition of showing strength by acquiring more weapons, naval ships, and submarines, in academic terms in international relations, what is referred to as the ‘Arms Race’.
In conclusion, it’s visible that Quad has emerged as a significant pillar of India’s foreign policy, demonstrating that it is more than just ‘rhetoric.’ It has effectively furthered India’s strategic objectives by keeping a check on the growing influence of China without unnecessarily ‘antagonising’ the same, enhancing maritime security, and promoting a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific in securing regional stability. As the Quad as grouping continues to evolve, its ability to navigate challenges and sustain its strategic relevance will determine its success in shaping the future regional order. The same has also been echoed in the last line of the Wilmington Declaration, “The Quad is Here to Stay,” and also highlighted by India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in his opening remarks at the Foreign Ministerial Conclave of Quad, where he said, “The Quad is here to stay, here to do, and here to go.”
