Relevance: GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and or affecting India’s interests.

Key Phrases: Chinese domination, Indo-Pacific Partnership Awareness, Q-CHAMP, IPMDA, QUAD, Act East initiative, Memorandum of Cooperation.

Context:

• Recently Quad summit was held in Tokyo, the leaders discussed challenges and opportunities across the Indo-Pacific and focussed on ways to deliver on the vision of a free, open, and inclusive region.

Background:

• Quad origins can be traced back to the evolution of Exercise Malabar and the 2004 Tsunami when India conducted relief and rescue operations for itself and neighbouring countries and was later joined by the US, Japan, and Australia.
• Since its establishment in 2007, the representatives for the four-member nations have met periodically.
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to pitch the idea for the formation of Quad in 2007.

Principles of Quad:

• The motive behind the Quad is to keep the strategic sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any military or political influence.
• It is basically seen as a strategic grouping to reduce Chinese domination.
• The core objective of the Quad is to secure a rules-based global order, freedom of navigation, and a liberal trading system.
• The coalition also aims to offer alternative debt financing for nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The Quad leaders exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change, pandemic, and education.

Key Takeaways From recent Summit:

• USD 50 billion of infrastructure assistance and investment in the Indo-Pacific over five years.
• Launch of Quad Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP)’ for tangible climate action.
• Quad Fellowship will bring 100 students from the 4 countries to the US each year to pursue graduate degrees in STEM fields.
• Launch of Indo-Pacific Partnership Awareness(IPMDA) for combating illegal fishing.
• QUAD partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief(HADR) in the Indo-Pacific.

Significance for India:

• If Chinese hostilities rise on the borders, India can take the support of the other Quad nations to counter.
• Quad gives a powerful platform to advance its interests in East Asia, coordinate strategies with powerful friends and add more strength to its Act East initiative.
• It is deepening India’s ties with US, Australia and Japan and providing New Delhi significant leverage in shaping US policies in Afghanistan-Pakistan to the benefit of India.
• Through QUAD India seeks to reassert rule based world order to counter China’s growing power and assertion.
• India can even take the help of its naval front and conduct strategic explorations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Opportunities before Quad:

1. Harnessing commercially-available data using existing technologies.
   • Through a combination of an Automatic Identification System and radio-frequency technologies, Quad partners can provide an unprecedented “common thread” of activities.
   • Because of its commercial origin, this data will be unclassified, allowing the Quad to provide it to a wide range of partners who wish to benefit.
2. The Quad Vaccine Partnership and Global Health Security
   • The Quad is committed to maintaining its global leadership in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and bolstering global health security.
   • To date, Quad partners have collectively provided 257 million safe and effective doses to the Indo-Pacific.
3. Critical and Emerging Technologies
   • Four countries are committed to responsible innovation in critical and emerging technologies.
   • Through a new Memorandum of Cooperation on 5G Supplier Diversification and Open RAN, the Quad will cooperate on technical exchanges and testbed activity to advance interoperability and telecommunications cybersecurity.
4. Space
   • As leaders in space, Quad countries are strengthening cooperation and pooling collective expertise to exchange satellite data, enable capacity-building, and consult on norms and guidelines.
5. Infrastructure
   • To help meet the Indo-Pacific’s enormous infrastructure needs, Quad leaders launched the Quad Infrastructure Coordination Group, which will deepen collaboration and pursue complementary actions, including in digital connectivity, transportation infrastructure, clean energy and climate resilience.

Challenges before Quad:

1. Distraction of Europe
   • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken up the old world order, reshaping geopolitics across the world. As the leader of the Western alliance against Russia, the US is now deeply engaged with the war.
   • The reinvigoration of Europe and NATO in the wake of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine has made new demands on US attention and resources, prompting questions about American appetite to take on two rivals — Russia and China — at the same time.
   • The war in Ukraine also poses an internal challenge in the Quad. Three members — US, Japan and Australia — have taken an unequivocal stand against Russia’s aggression,
   • India’s position has been one of studied neutrality that calls for respect of territorial sovereignty and integrity and the UN charter, but does not criticize Russia.
2. The Threat of China
   • Each Quad member views the Chinese threat differently
     • For the US, it is about trade and Taiwan.
     • For Australia too, trade was the biggest issue until the recent establishment of a Chinese military base in the Solomon Islands brought a new dimension.
     • Japan and India are closest to China, and both face belligerent Chinese claims to territory.
3. Non-Security Initiatives
   • Cutting-edge technology, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure have been described as “key battlegrounds” in the contest with China.

Conclusion:

• The Quad has evolved as a unique partnership and is poised to play a meaningful role in promoting stability, security and development in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The Quad countries recognise each other’s approaches and have endeavoured to revive the group by building on the areas of convergence.
• The recently held quad summit has outlined a vision that encompasses a broad canvas.
• It indicated a clear intent to address common challenges and tap opportunities, both existing and potential, cooperatively and collaboratively.

Source: Indian Express

Mains Question:

Q. Critically analyze the key challenges and opportunities before the Quad group. (250 words).