There’s a new squad in town: Meet The Quad

Following an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts after the Indian Ocean tsunami, initiated by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad is a strategic alliance between 4 nations- India, US, Japan and Australia.

The diplomatic and military alliance to safeguard security in the Indo-Pacific has been in function ever since but was resuscitated in 2017 with more structure and has a prominent significance in 2021.

In March, the 4 members met virtually and put forth a joint statement titled ‘The Spirit of the Quad’ wherein the members said that the group envisions a free, open, resilient and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

The Quad does not have a structured framework like that of NATO or ASEAN. The talking points include maritime security, climate change, vaccine diplomacy, emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure among others.

As External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar put it, it is a collaboration between four countries in a changing, evolving region who are comfortable working with each other, who have come together with an agenda that they make up as they go along.

But one agenda sticks out very clearly.

Following former U.S. President Trump’s heated relationship with China, the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific pivot takes shape with the Quad.

Quad emerges as a new bloc to counter China’s military dominance and aggressive diplomacy in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

US and even Europe has sprung into action and begun to strategize for the future of the region. Quad’s first in-person meeting is at the heels of the new Australia-UK-US security alliance AUKUS that has already caused stir with its decision to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Though Quad members India and Japan are excluded from this trilateral pact, Japan which has territorial tensions with China in the East and South China Seas has said that the strengthening security and defense cooperation of AUKUS is crucial for peace in the Indo-Pacific.

On the other hand, India has not been very verbal over the exclusion, but New Delhi said that the grouping is neither relevant to the Quad, nor will it have any impact on its function.

For India, the Quad is a safe getaway of friends to keep China at bay, both on the mainland and in the maritime. China’s border advances, strategic infrastructural developments especially the ports along the Indian Ocean are pressing security issues. Along with that, its affinity with Pakistan in the wake of Taliban’s resurgence has further raised alarms for a strategy to fight the Asian giant’s clout in the region.

Naturally, China is not amused with this new grouping.

Much like the analysts all over the world who view the Quad as an apparent anti-China bloc, Beijing views it as a means to corner the nation.

China had opposed the Quad at its inception and continues to critique the group as a clique made on Cold War-mentality detrimental to the international order.

China isn’t the only critic. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also warned of a potential new Cold War if the US and China don’t mend their — what he called — a ’completely dysfunctional’ relationship.

Tensions between the two factions can wither or grow depending upon the route the Quad takes.