The heads of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) countries — Australia, India, Japan and the US — held their fourth leaders’ summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sept. 21 to assess the status of the liberal international order and to take measures to promote a free, open and prosperous world order.
The Quad leaders unequivocally expressed their commitment to the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Although it is not a security grouping, the Quad addressed emerging maritime security challenges.
In an oblique reference to China, the Quad leaders expressed grave concerns about militarizing disputed islands, and coercive and intimidating actions in the South China Sea. They condemned the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers in the region.
It is equally important to highlight that they underscored that the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes in the region.
At the same time, then-Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait in their bilateral discussion.
That underlines a marked shift in the Quad countries’ policy toward China. In the past, the Quad members hesitated to stand up to China, but, as Beijing’s aggressive behavior has only increased against the US, India, Japan and Australia, they have crystallized their shared efforts to contain China.
For example, the Quad launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness to ensure freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region. That, in turn, aims to provide partners and other countries with near-real-time information to better monitor their waters and the illegal movements of vessels.
The Quad also announced the first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission next year in the Indo-Pacific region to improve interoperability. In the mission, members of the Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force and Indian Coast Guard would spend time on board a US Coast Guard vessel operating in the region.
Building cooperation in managing maritime issues in the Indo-Pacific region would help challenge China’s claims over the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere. That would aid Taiwan’s efforts to deal with China’s intimidating posturing.
In that context, it is heartening to see that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has indicated his commitment to deepening his predecessor’s defense and security policies. For example, he supports constitutional reforms to enhance Japan’s military capabilities and strengthening collective regional security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
More to the point, Ishiba, who led Japan’s bipartisan parliamentary delegation to Taiwan in August, said that “replacing Russia with China and Ukraine with Taiwan, the absence of a collective self-defense system like NATO in Asia means that wars are likely to break out because there is no obligation for mutual defense.”
Ishiba has called for the creation of an Asian version of NATO to counter China. His views on managing regional security have further crystalized Japan’s efforts to protect Taiwan.
Amid talk of an “Asian NATO,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian (林劍) accused the US of trying to “hype up the China threat” to contain and exclude Beijing and using the Quad to maintain “US hegemony.”
China also became furious about the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JP Sazanami’s passage through the Taiwan Strait on Sept. 24. That was the first time a modern Japanese warship carried out such naval activity in the Taiwan Strait.
The focus of Japan’s approach on modernizing its military and working with like-minded countries to restrain China also poses a major impediment to Beijing.
Of course, the success of the Quad is not limited to outlining its strategic intent. All four members are cognizant of building better infrastructure and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific region. No development can take place in the absence of energy.
Therefore, the Quad leaders announced the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program, which aims to support the development of secure and diversified clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region.
Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, climate change, healthcare and other issues have also taken center stage in the Quad.
However, these positive developments should not blind people to the challenges facing Quad. First, if its members are so convinced of China’s bad intent, what prevents them from taking a strong collective stand on Taiwan? After all, one thing that would determine the fate of the Quad is whether it succeeds in ensuring Taiwan’s existence as an independent country.
Second, given Taiwan’s expertise in almost all the areas that Quad has outlined, it is beyond comprehension why Taipei should not be given space at some level in the grouping.
Third, it is encouraging to observe that several countries in the world, especially Quad members, have realized the real intent of China building economic interdependence with the rest of the world through its Belt and Road Initiative and other means.
However, the Quad has not come out with a viable alternative economic framework to counter China’s economic imperialism.
Although Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in 2022, India partly opted out of the trade pillar of the initiative. That puts a big question mark on the Quad countries’ shared idea about economic integration in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that India does not share a desire for an Asian version of NATO, underlining strong differences of opinions among Quad member countries on security and economic issues. Moreover, India feels that joining any military alliance would undermine its strategic autonomy and not serve its national interests.
These contradictions in the Quad certainly embolden China to aggressively pursue its imperialistic desires in the region and beyond, and the regime of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has shown its contempt for international institutions. Hence, the Quad should refine its aim and strategies to infuse trust in the countries of the Indo-Pacific region about its commitment to promoting peace, development and prosperity. Needless to say, Taiwan should be a major priority for the Quad. With the US set to elect a new president next month, it would be interesting to watch how and to what extent the Quad would promote peace, security and development in the Indo-Pacific region.
Sumit Kumar is an assistant professor in the University of Delhi’s Department of Political Science and a former Ministry of Foreign Affairs visiting fellow at National Chengchi University.
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