What Is the ‘Quad’ and Should China Fear It?

A term in increasingly frequent use in global politics these days is “the Quad.” The informal grouping brings together the U.S., Japan, India and Australia in an alliance of democracies with shared economic and security interests that span the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The point is to maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” but the unstated priority is countering China’s growing power, which rankles the leadership in Beijing. The Quad has its critics, who point out that enthusiasm varies with the political winds in each capital, question the group’s sometimes-ambiguous goals and ask just how effective it will be, given some members are wary of provoking China too directly.

After years lying dormant, the Quad was revived in 2017 by the U.S. under President Donald Trump, whose government was intent on challenging China from every angle. Yet Trump’s sometimes erratic diplomacy -- including lashing out at friendly nations such as India, Japan and South Korea -- left them hesitant to line up behind the U.S. on China. When Joe Biden took over as president in January, he pledged to repair America’s relationships and work closer with allies while also continuing his predecessor’s tough stance on China. Biden organized the first-ever gathering of the Quad leaders, meeting March 12 with India’s Narendra Modi, Japan’s Yoshihide Suga and Australia’s Scott Morrison in a virtual conference, which resulted in a pledge to fund India to accelerate production of Covid-19 vaccines and distribute them across Asia. Although the official joint statement doesn’t mention China, the talks came amid a flurry of U.S. diplomacy in Asia designed to shore up relationships and build a common approach to dealing with Beijing.