Quad in the Indo-Pacific: Role of Informality in Countering China
Ash Rossiter and Brendon J. Cannon
The Quad, a highly informal intergovernmental organization in the Indo-Pacific, is a high-profile security grouping composed of Australia, India, Japan, and the US. For some observers, the Quad’s informality and lack of clear security commitments means it is little more than a “talk shop.” For others, it an emergent military alliance. This issue brief shows that the Quad’s overriding purpose is a bit of both via its core mission to meet the long-term security challenges posed by China to each Quad member and the quartet collectively. But rather than turning to an interlocking security alliance, the quartet looks for collective security and the protection of the jealously guarded sovereignty via the Quad’s informality. Indeed, informality is a geopolitical necessity for the Quad as it provides a workable format for four diverse members to coordinate security activities whilst maintaining equivocal positions vis-à-vis China. In the process, Australia, India, Japan, and the US have progressively strengthened bilateral, trilateral, and quadrilateral defense and security ties.
Related Publications
-
South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the IPEF: Convergence and Commonality
For some time now, the existing multilateral networks such as those of the United Nations (UN) system have been largely ineffective in providing good global governance and helping create resilience, […]
-
The SCO: Whither Balancing?
Since late last year, when India took over the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in September and the G-20 in December, 2023 was being branded as India’s “pivotal” […]
-
AUKUS, Advanced Capabilities and Defense Integration in the Indo-Pacific
Nearly two years on from the inception of AUKUS in September 2021, the contours of this strategic partnership have begun to take a more concrete shape. Specifically, the roadmap for […]
-
The Global South Scaled in Japan’s New Outreach
The “Global South” is no longer just a growing buzzword confined to academic publications but has found increasing resonance in strategic circles. Even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine consolidated the […]
-
Climate Security in the Indo-Pacific: Priorities and Challenges
The climate vulnerabilities of the Indo-Pacific region have grown immensely with grave implications for regional, national, human, and ecological security. Climate action has been prioritized by most countries, including by […]
-
The Future of the ADMM-Plus in the Indo-Pacific
Since its establishment, the ADMM-Plus has evolved into a valuable component of the regional security architecture. It facilitates not only dialogue among the region’s defense ministers and officials, but also […]