Leaders of the Quad to convene for summit
Leaders from the US, Japan, India and Australia will hold a virtual summit today as members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad.
Today’s meeting will be the first leaders-level meeting of the strategic grouping since it was founded in 2007, with prior meetings exclusively held between senior diplomats. The elevation of the meeting to summit level and the renewed focus of the forum comes amid growing tensions between China and the Quad countries, including recent Sino-Indian border disputes and growing trade tensions with Australia.
The Quad is expected to discuss a range of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains, emerging and critical technologies, security and climate change. In responding to the pandemic, expect the Quad to support greater vaccine production capacity towards reducing existing medical supply dependency on China. To address Beijing’s aggression, specifically in its use of grey zone tactics on the East and South China Seas as well as piecemeal annexation of Indian territory, expect US President Joe Biden to look to introduce the Quad as a core feature of Indo-Pacific security. Nevertheless, as Biden looks to build cooperation with China, expect leaders to stress the need for de-escalation and dialogue.
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