Rapid Fire
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
- 03 Jan 2026
- 2 min read
Ambassadors of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) countries- the US, India, Australia, and Japan, held a rare publicised meeting in Beijing, describing their ties as “stable and strong.”
- About: The QUAD began as a humanitarian coordination mechanism after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
- Originally proposed in 2007 by Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the framework remained inactive after Australia stepped back in 2008 before being revived in 2017 against the backdrop of China’s growing Indo-Pacific assertiveness.
- It focuses on regional security, economic cooperation, maritime safety, infrastructure, and supply chain resilience, while not being a formal military alliance.
- Vision of the Quad: The 2021 QUAD Leaders’ Summit adopted the “Spirit of the Quad”, reaffirming a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific anchored in democratic values, rule of law, and freedom from coercion.
- Key QUAD Initiatives:
- QUAD At Sea Ship Observer Mission: Launched under the Wilmington Declaration (2024) of the QUAD, it is an initiative to boost interoperability, maritime domain awareness, and operational coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
- Malabar Exercise: It is a major annual multilateral naval drill involving the Quad nations, focused on enhancing maritime coordination, interoperability, and readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
- Expansion Potential: The “Quad Plus” engagements have involved countries such as South Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam, reflecting the grouping’s potential for future expansion.
- China’s Opposition: It has repeatedly opposed the Quad, describing it as “bloc politics like NATO” and warning against cooperation that targets third countries, reinforcing China’s discomfort with Indo-Pacific coalitions.
- Despite China’s claims, the Quad has no mutual defence treaty. It focuses on strategic coordination, maritime security, economic cooperation, and rules-based order, not collective military defence.
| Read more: Quad Marks 20 Years of Cooperation |
