20 september 2024 : With the ASEAN summit set to take place in Vientiane next month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to outline his strategic roadmap for the QUAD grouping. This will focus on strengthening supply chains, enhancing critical infrastructure, improving maritime domain awareness, and prioritizing cybersecurity.
The upcoming QUAD summit on September 21 in Wilmington, Delaware, faces the challenge of maintaining attention on the Indo-Pacific and the aggressive actions of the PLA Navy, rather than getting sidetracked by the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine or farewells to outgoing leaders like President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
In addition to participating in the fourth in-person QUAD summit, PM Modi will engage in bilateral discussions with President Biden, PM Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. However, due to time constraints, it seems unlikely he will meet with allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron or Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. No decision has been made regarding a potential meeting with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The QUAD summit will focus on protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks by both state and non-state actors. Recent Chinese aggression against the Philippines and missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on international shipping have intensified tensions in the Indo-Pacific. The QUAD nations have already opted to use HawkEye 360 software from a U.S. company for maritime domain awareness, targeting vessels that deliberately turn off their transponders.
Although Australia and Japan are U.S. allies, India plays a central role in the Indo-Pacific, supported by a two-carrier task force navy to uphold international law in the region. The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative was established by the QUAD in May 2022, recognizing the area as one of the most heavily trafficked regions in the world, plagued by piracy, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and illegal fishing.
Since the 2006 tsunami, India has been a primary responder in the region, providing disaster relief during natural calamities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India also supplied free vaccines to the region without expecting any political or diplomatic favors in return.
While China and its supporters view the QUAD as a counter to its rise, the reality is that the QUAD serves a broader purpose, promoting global stability among the four major powers that remain in constant communication with one another.
