Quad harnessing collective strengths, resources of member states: USISPF

A top India-centric American business advocacy group has said the recently-held Quad summit showed that the four-nation grouping is harnessing the members' collective strengths and resources.

The Quad Leaders' Summit was hosted by US President Joe Biden on Saturday and was attended by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi from India, Fumio Kishida from Japan and Anthony Albanese from Australia in Wilmington, Delaware.

The summit showed how the Quad is harnessing all four democracies' collective strengths and resources, from governments to the private sector to people-to-people relationships, to support the region's sustainable development, stability, and prosperity by delivering tangible benefits to all people in the Indo-Pacific, the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) said in a statement on Monday.

The USISPF said the success of the Quad is witnessed as it has become more strategically aligned than ever in its mission to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific and uphold a rules-based international order, since the grouping was elevated to a leader-level forum four years ago.

New Delhi, Canberra, Tokyo and Washington have strengthened their diplomatic bonds and undertaken joint endeavours and initiatives in one of the most important regions on the planet, it said.

"This summit solidified the Quad's focus on critical and emerging technologies with emphasis on semiconductors and AI, health security, food security, clean energy, quality infrastructure, and prioritising people-to-people ties through exchanges and educational fellowships, the USISPF said.

The Quad is a force for good, as four democracies have set out and are unequivocal in their commitment to tackling pandemics and diseases, responding to natural disasters, enhancing maritime domain awareness, developing and upgrading physical and digital infrastructure, investing in and leveraging critical and emerging technologies and combating the threat of climate change, it added.

Through the Quad Health Security Partnership, the four countries have announced the Quad Cancer Moonshot, which initially targets combating cervical cancer, a preventable cancer affecting many lives in countries across the Indo-Pacific. The initiative will have public-private sector investments in cancer research and leverage scientific expertise to lay the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well, it said.

The region encompassing the Indian and Pacific Oceans has seen the Quad countries increase maritime domain awareness through the new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), which will enhance interoperability and security in the waters.

Resilient supply chains are a priority for all four Quad countries and hence the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network will leverage networks to enhance logistics and support timely responses to natural disasters," the USISPF said.

The US, Japan, India and Australia had in 2017 given shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the "Quad" or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.

The four-member Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, advocates upholding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. China claims that the grouping aims to contain its rise.