Advertisement
Opinion
As Asia’s strategic landscape evolves, what is the Quad’s purpose?
Countries like India can’t afford to let ties with China be defined by a grouping focused on reacting to one power and lacking a broader positive vision
3-MIN READ3-MIN
5
Listen
Gaurav Kumar is a researcher at the Centre for Professional Military Education in the United Service Institution of India, New Delhi.
When foreign ministers of countries that are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) gathered in New Delhi last week, the agenda looked familiar: supply chain resilience, telecommunications security and maritime domain awareness. The talking points have evolved, the initiatives have multiplied and the meetings have become routine.
Asia is entering a new strategic era. However, its geopolitical debate remains stuck in the previous one. Across the region, governments are investing in new partnerships, stronger supply chains and greater military capabilities in response to China’s growing power.
Yet a more fundamental question receives far less attention: what kind of regional order are Asian countries actually trying to build? The latest Quad meeting in New Delhi brought that dilemma into sharp focus.
The Quad holds meeting after meeting without ever answering the one question that actually matters: what is the grouping ultimately for? After nearly a decade of summits, ministerial dialogues and joint statements, that question remains difficult to answer.
Select Voice
Select Speed
1x
AI-generated voice