By: Bharat Sharma
Edited By: Leah Li
The Quad is emerging as an important multilateral grouping for the US, with policy continuity expected as the Trump administration replaces Biden’s. Its importance is underwritten by a number of key policy decisions taken by the Biden administration. Earlier this year, the US House of Representatives passed the Strengthening the Quad Act (H.R.5375) by an overwhelming majority, indicating bipartisan consensus on the importance of the “Quad.” Earlier known as the “Quadrilateral Security Dialogue,” the Quad is a coalition of the US, India, Australia, and Japan . The bill, co-sponsored by House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, aimed to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to bolster engagement between Quad partners and provide Congress with a strategy on increasing cooperation and engagement with the Quad. The Working Group would be modeled on existing working groups the US has with Mexico, Canada, and the UK, and should “finance development and infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region that is competitive, transparent, and sustainable.” One of the central tenets of the Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, launched in 2022, is strengthening the Quad grouping as a means to deliver public goods including infrastructure, maritime security, and cybersecurity to Indo-Pacific partners.
During the Biden Administration, the Quad’s role has been considerably driven by its strategy to enhance India’s regional leadership in South Asia and the Indian Ocean. The Biden administration sees the Quad as an important tool for shoring up influence in the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific strategy document refers to India as the “driving force of the Quad,” and refers to increased engagement with the Quad.
The Biden Administration’s 2022 National Security Strategy discussed the need to “deepen…cooperation with democracies and other like-minded states,” and work with a variety of actors, including the Quad and the I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, US). This is part of a larger US effort to create a “latticework of strong, resilient, and mutually reinforcing relationships,” including deepening and modernizing US alliances and partnerships, and appreciating the critical role they play in US national security policy.
Another important facet of the US strategy is the AUKUS, a defense and security alliance that links Australia and the United Kingdom. It aims to work toward shared technology and increased interoperability in advanced capabilities, and toward building the combined capabilities of the three countries in deterring threats to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Other trilaterals, including the US-South Korea-Japan trilateral, have received attention from the US, most notably looking at the outcomes of the August 2023 Camp David Summit. US engagement in Southeast Asia, including with ASEAN, Vietnam, Thailand, and Philippines, is a step towards this end. US efforts towards initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) are aimed at collaborating on economic challenges in the region.
The US’ attention towards the region has also meant that the US-India relationship and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has received significant attention. The bilateral defense relationship has also quickly deepened. In June 2023, the US and India focused on enhancing defense-industrial cooperation, committing to synergize national frameworks and policies. India was also pitched as a hub for logistics, repair, and maintenance infrastructure for the US, aiming to integrate the Indian defense industry into the global supply chains of US defense and aerospace companies. India and the US have also explored co-development and co-production of Stryker Armored Vehicles for the Indian Armed Forces, along with their recent armed drone deal.
Cooperation in non-strategic areas has also received significant focus; the Quad’s focus on climate change mitigation, infrastructure, and education is an effort to provide public goods to Indo-Pacific partners.
In the IOR, the US has also devoted significant policy attention in recent years, progressing from a previously nascent stage. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu’s visit to Maldives in 2023 highlights US efforts to strengthen cooperation in the island state and the larger region, importantly through establishing a US Embassy in Malé. Other India-US senior officials meetings have included discussions about “strengthening coordination and policy alignment across the Indo-Pacific, including the wider Indian Ocean region.” It remains to be seen how India’s role in the region will evolve vis-à-vis US interests in the Indo-Pacific given the shift in leadership in Washington, D.C.