The White House is now focusing on “the Quad” in an effort to show that the conflict in Ukraine has not drawn attention away from urgent Asian challenges. With shared economic and security interests in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the informal alliance unites the democracies of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. Although it is stated that the objective is to maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” the real and clear goal is to oppose China’s expanding influence which has irritated Beijing’s leadership. Critics criticize the Quad’s ambiguous objectives and question its viability in light of some members’ concerns about hurting China. However, as long as US-China tensions persist and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine persists, it will become even more important.
China has criticized the Quad as a means of limiting its global expansion
Under the leadership of US President Joe Biden, who was supposed to visit Japan on May 17, the organization has gained traction. The Quad leaders were supposed to meet in Australia on May 24, but he canceled his trip there. In response to growing concern over Chinese vessel operations, the leaders met in Tokyo last year and decided to launch a campaign to tackle illegal fishing throughout the Indo-Pacific region. After that, the Quad leaders convened virtually for the first time in 2021, and an agreement was reached to assist India in accelerating the development of Covid-19 vaccines and expanding their availability throughout Asia. This was not always the case with the group. It sat dormant for years before it was revived in 2017 by the United States under then-President Donald Trump, whose administration was determined to fight China, reported The Washington Post.
China has criticized the Quad as a means of limiting its global expansion. The group has been charged by China’s foreign ministry with attempting to harm China’s interests. The organization “is steeped in the obsolete Cold War and zero-sum mentality and reeks of military confrontation,” according to Wang Wenbin, a ministry spokesperson, who also added that it “runs counter to the trend of the times and is doomed to be rejected.” According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, some have accused the Quad of being a talking shop without any real institutional structure and unable to speak with a cohesive voice. Others worry that it would eventually transform into an Asian NATO, which would provoke a Chinese response. Tanvi Madan, a senior scholar at the Brookings Institution, claims that Indian authorities have been wary about poking China while also being dubious of Canberra’s once-close ties to Beijing. India did, however, seem to get over its reservations in 2020 and ask Australia to rejoin the Malabar drills.