On Saturday, US President Biden convened the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), also known as the Quad summit, in his hometown of Delaware, meeting with leaders from India, Australia, and Japan.
Biden stated during the opening ceremony of the Quad joint meeting that the four-country talks “will continue to exist.” This marks the last Quad summit of Biden’s term and signifies an important political achievement for him.
During a joint meeting with the leaders of the four nations on Saturday evening, Biden announced new initiatives to enhance maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region with India. This includes strengthening a maritime agreement aimed at monitoring illegal fishing and other illicit international activities in the waters, with the new agreement now incorporating the Indian Ocean into the partnership’s jurisdiction.
Leaders also announced the deployment of new technologies and training programs to strengthen the maritime agreement, with the addition of US Coast Guard vessels for the first time.
“We are democratic countries that know how to get things done,” Biden said. “The four of us are more strategically aligned than ever before.”
The Quad is an informal organization consisting of four democratic countries in the Indo-Pacific region, positioned as a counterbalance to the economic and militaristic ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party. Its official goal is to uphold a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” Beijing views the Quad with apprehension as it considers the undisclosed top priority of the Quad to be counterbalancing China.
Indian Prime Minister Modi expressed that the Quad has “strengthened cooperation across various areas in unprecedented ways.”
“The Quad will continue to exist to offer assistance, cooperation, and supplements,” he stated.
Ahead of the meeting, Biden held discussions with the attending leaders separately. On Friday evening, he first met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. On Saturday, he engaged in talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Biden discussed global issues with the three leaders, including the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and the Chinese threat to Taiwan.
According to records from the White House’s meeting with Kishida, Japan plans to increase investments in the deployment of advanced technologies under the Australia, UK, US (AUKUS) trilateral alliance. Japan’s partnership with AUKUS was first announced in April.
Kishida emphasized during the talks, “Our surrounding security environment is becoming increasingly severe,” stressing the need to uphold international law and commit to partnerships like the Quad to advance shared values of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The White House also announced commitments to strengthen US-Australia cooperation through the Australia-Japan-US Trilateral Security Dialogue, as well as investments and projects in climate and clean energy.
Albanese stated that the Quad has “evolved” to address the growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Countries united by shared values and our four great democratic nations working together, we will be better,” he said.
As competition between the West and Beijing intensifies, and the potential for greater conflicts between China and Taiwan or the Philippines in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea looms, the US is seeking to enhance relations in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad originated in 2004 as a loose partnership. It was formally established under the leadership of the Trump administration in 2017 and has seen further development under the Biden administration.
During Biden’s presidency, the four leaders have held five online or in-person summits, with the last one taking place in Hiroshima, Japan, during the G7 summit in May 2023.
China criticizes the Quad as a mechanism to contain its expansion.
On Saturday, US National Security Advisor Sullivan told reporters before the Quad summit, “The Quad is not about coming together against China or any other country; it’s about coming together to build a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
“These issues are on the agenda because they are relevant to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, but China is not the focus of the Quad, and the Quad is not about one country,” he added.
This week, the US Congress announced the establishment of the House and Senate Quad Caucus to enhance support for cooperative alliances.