Quad, 'force for good', girds up to counter China

Quad, a strategic forum comprising four nations, is indeed a "force for good" and though the joint statement by the US, Japan, Australia and India does not mention China, the message is clear that this grouping aims to counter China's reach in the Indo-Pacific.

Quad has come a long way since former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed it in 2007. The grouping has multifaceted goals ranging from respect for international law to infrastructure to security in the region.

All the member states of the Quad grouping uphold the international law and sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. It speaks about the need and importance to have a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders have asserted that they strongly oppose any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo and increase tensions, reported Geneva Daily.

This is a clear indication for China. Even if no one from the grouping mentioned China, it is imperative to read between the lines and understand that it is applicable to Beijing.

Another aspect is the announcement of the USD 50 billion infrastructure assistance to the region by the Quad leaders through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Over the next five years, the Quad partners will extend funding to catalyse infrastructure delivery.

Quad, with its infrastructure assistance in the region, is seeking to push many South, South-East Asia and the Pacific away from China financially. It is because many of the countries in the region are dependent on China and is trapped under its debt and this set-up by Quad wil help these debt-strapped countries to cope.

Furthermore, Quad grouping also focuses on combating illegal fishing in the Pacific waters. The member countries will also look into helping the nations in the region to be able to respond to humanitarian and natural disasters.

This is in the view that the region is prone to natural disasters. Vaccine diplomacy is also a key area where Quad wants to lay emphasis. As the world continues to face the COVID-19 pandemic it is essential for the grouping to pay heed to this challenging situation. China, the originator of the coronavirus and the leaders wants to play a pertinent role in health security.

The collective pledge by Quad partners of approximately USD 5.2 billion to the COVAX AMC and delivery of over 670 million doses globally is a measure of the success of the combined efforts of leading democratic nations, as per the media portal.

Thus China remains a force to be countered in the Indo Pacific. Australia and US are already irked by China's security deals with the Solomon Islands. Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, is also negotiating a similar kind of a pact with Kiribati. All of these moves by China in the Pacific waters have instilled a fear in Australia and US that China is planning to solidy its reach in the region by possibly building overseas military bases.

(ANI)