On 12th March, 2021, QUAD member countries such as U.S.A., India, Japan and Australia has conducted virtual meeting of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). Indian Primer Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has actively participated in the same.
Who initiated QUAD and for what?
QUAD forum was initiated in 2007 as a dialogue that was proposed by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. At that time he was vehemently advocating for “securing the open sea lanes” and “freedom of navigation” that are highly critical for peace, stability, and prosperity in the entire region.
Shinoz Abe succeeded in getting good support from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
QUAD Members
QUAD group is basically comprises of 4 countries such as U.S.A., India, Japan and Australia. Purpose of the QUAD is to organize summits, exchanges the information and to conduct the joint military drills.
QUAD’s Malabar exercise has started in 1992 as a bilateral drill between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean.
In 2015 Japan has become a permanent member of this exercise in 2015. Since then India, America and Japan have been jointly conducting multilateral naval exercise that includes simulated war games and combat maneuvers every year.
QUAD faced a major set back in February, 2008, after former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took a drastic decision to withdraw Australia from QUAD. He took this decision just after completion of a joint naval exercise between Quad and Singapore that has invited a strong diplomatic protests from China. At that time Prime Minister Kevin Rudd does not like to spoil the good bilateral relationship between Australia and China.
Since then Australia was staying away from QUAD activities. Meanwhile Chinese regime systematically bolstered their naval presence in South and East China sea areas. They have built many artificial islands illegally. Subsequently, they have converted the same as their military base in the South China Sea.
Few years back Chinese regime unilaterally declared that major part of South and East China sea is belongs to them. Subsequently they have started threatening countries like Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam to keep them away from carrying out their activities such as fishing and oil exploration, etc. in the South and East China Sea.
Donald Trump contributions to revive QUAD
Ever since Donald Trump became President of U.S.A., he was much upset about Chinese growing military aggression in the South and East China sea and Indo Pacific region.
In 2017 Donald Trump started intense negotiations with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finally all the four countries agreed to revive the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) in an effective manner.
Accordingly Australian Navy has joined the Malabar exercise in 2020 after an invitation from India. This was the first time all the QUAD member countries engaged joint Naval exercise that was conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 03rd Nov 2020 to 6th Nov 2020.
During the last QUAD virtual meeting, QUAD members categorically asked world communities including China to follow the rule of law and desist from any unilateral show of force in South and East China Sea and Indo Pacific region.
Chinese regime never thought that Australia would rejoin the QUAD and take part in the joint Malabar Naval exercise. Now they are in a furious situation and once again they are trying to divide QUAD group by influencing one or other countries.
Concluction:-
As China has already been isolated from rest of the world due to their suspected involvement in spreading Covid 19 in the world and their systematic attempt to encroach others land and sea areas, their attempt to divide QUAD will not succeed in future.
At the same time QUAD will emerge stronger and they will remain united to stop Chinese every attempt to dominate in South and East China Sea and Indo Pacific region.
