Quad grouping

Quad grouping

What to study?

• For Prelims: Members of the Quad grouping, countries in the Indian ocean region, Chinese military bases.
• For Mains: The Quad grouping- features, significance, concerns and potential.

Context: A report on the policy recommendations on Indian Ocean security by four think tanks from the Quad countries has been unveiled.

Important recommendations:

• Maintain the momentum of high-level consultations among the Quad countries with the aim of “free and open Info-Pacific region” and progressively move it to a political level.
• Australia, Japan, India and the US should work with countries in the IOR to help maintain independent security and economic policies by supporting high-quality alternatives to unilateral Chinese investments and political alignment with Chinese regional objectives.
• The four countries should work to oppose the establishment of permanent Chinese military bases in the IOR. This should include demonstrating to China that its security needs can be met through cooperation and consultation with other nations and without the recourse to a “disruptive unilateral military presence.”
• Naval fleets should evolve increasingly long range operations. This may require consideration in Japan of new options such as nuclear propulsion for its submarines.

The Quad:

• Regional coalition known as the ‘Quad’, the quadrilateral formation includes Japan, India, United States and Australia.
• All four nations find a common ground of being the democratic nations and common interests of unhindered maritime trade and security.
• The idea was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the idea couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it.

China’s concerns:

The coming together of India, the US, Japan and Australia is being seen as building a strategic partnership to deal with China’s rise and its implications.

Way ahead:

The Quad grouping is one of the many avenues for interaction among India, Australia, Japan and the US and should not be seen in an exclusive context. Quad should not be seen in any comparative or in an exclusive context.

Sources: the hindu.