In News:
- A new Global Security Initiative has been put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- This initiative will look to counter the S. Indo-Pacific strategy and the Quad – the India, U.S., Australia, Japan grouping.
What’s in Today’s Article:
- QUAD – About, Objective, evolution, naval exercise, first summit, advantages, challenges, QUAD is not anti-China
- News Summary
IN Focus: Quad
About
- The grouping of four democracies –India, Australia, US and Japan– is known as the quadrilateral security dialogue or quad.
- The aim of this grouping is to ensure a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo- Pacific.
Objectives of the Quad
- The group’s primary objectives include
- maritime security,
- combating the Covid-19 crisis, especially vis-à-vis vaccine diplomacy,
- addressing the risks of climate change,
- creating an ecosystem for investment in the region and
- boosting technological innovation.
Evolution
- Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, India, Japan, Australia, and the US created an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts.
- Quad as a formal group was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in However, due to Chinese resistance and reluctance shown by India, it could not move ahead.
- Later, during the 2017 ASEAN Summits, all four former members re-joined negotiations to revive the quadrilateral alliance.
- The Quad was upgraded to the ministerial level in September 2019.
Naval Exercise
- In November 2020, the navies of Australia, India, Japan and the United States held their biggest naval drills, known as Malabar exercise.
- It was the first time since 2007 that all members of Quad participated in a joint military drill.
First-ever summit of QUAD leaders
- In March 2021, the first-ever summit of QUAD leaders took place
- 1st in-person Quad Summit took place in September 2021 in US.
- It was participated by the PMs/Presidents of all the member countries. The summit was hosted by US.
Advantages:
- Greater cooperation among democratic nations in changed scenario
- Since the tsunami, climate change has grown more perilous, new technologies have revolutionized our daily lives, geopolitics have become ever more complex, and a pandemic has devastated the world.
- Free, open, resilient and inclusive Indo-Pacific
- Quad countries are striving to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is accessible and dynamic, governed by international law.
- It wants to create an environment in which all countries are able to make their own political choices, free from coercion.
Challenges:
- Assertiveness of China
- Chinese officials have likened the group to a “mini-NATO” and said its activities are aimed at targeting third parties.
- Beijing sees Quad as part of a strategy to encircle China and has pressured countries like Bangladesh to avoid cooperating with the group.
- China as a Trading partner
- Beijing has emerged as the most important trading partner of the Indian Ocean region.
- Approach of Member Countries
- While USA is quite vocal in naming the aggressive China, other members show restraint and avoid naming China directly.
- There is difference in the approach as well. E.g., USA looks the Indo-Pacific region militarily. On the other hand, India views this region diplomatically.
- Different Areas of Prioritisation
- The way that the four different Quad members view their interests in the Indo-Pacific leads them to prioritise different areas.
- For instance, for the US, South China Sea and East China Sea are vital. Same goes for Japan. And for Australia, it also includes the Western Pacific.
- But for India, the Quad is about the Indian Ocean and South China Sea is a secondary theatre.
- ASEAN
- As of now there are no signs that the ASEAN is willing to take a united stand on many issues so far raised by Quad.
- It would be difficult for the Quad to execute any effective policy minus the cooperation from the ASEAN countries.
- RCEP
- Japan and Australia joined the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
- This is an indication of their desire to do business with China even as they seek to deter its growing clout in the region.
Quad is not anti-China
- There was no direct reference to China or military security in the joint statement released after first virtual ministerial meeting.
- Experts believe that the Quad will refrain from addressing the military threat posed by China and instead focus on its economic and technological influence.
- The Quad had decided to establish working groups on vaccine development and critical technologies.
- This can be viewed as an attempt to create a democratic, inclusive blueprint that will encourage other states to work with the Quad.
News Summary
- While speaking at the Boao Forum in China, President Xi Jinping has proposed a Global Security Initiative.
Aim of this initiative
- As per the Chinese President, Global Security Initiative will stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
- It would oppose unilateralism, and say no to group politics and bloc confrontation.
- This initiative would oppose the wanton use of unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction.
Key Principles
- Build an Asian security model
- This initiative would build an Asian security model of mutual respect, openness and integration.
- It would oppose the destruction of the international order under the banner of so-called rules.
- It will also oppose the dragging of the world under the cloud of the new cold war.
- Oppose Indo-Pacific strategy of US
- This initiative will oppose the use of the Indo-Pacific strategy to divide the region and create a new Cold War, and the use of military alliances to put together an Asian version of NATO.
