President Joe Biden is preparing to host the Quad Leaders Summit on September 21, which will bring together leaders from Australia, India, and Japan. This summit is one of Biden’s final opportunities to shape policy in the Indo-Pacific region before leaving office. The meeting will take place at Biden’s private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
The Quad’s interests align with the US objective of maintaining maritime access in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, this four-way relationship could serve as a foundation for an alliance aimed at countering China’s expansionist goals.
Originally, India was scheduled to host this summit. However, due to scheduling conflicts and Biden’s decision to suspend his reelection campaign, he took up the opportunity instead. As a result, this summit holds significant importance as a capstone event in Biden’s foreign policy record.
The Quad had its first meetings at the senior official level back in 2007 but fell into disuse by 2008 when Australia withdrew from the organization. It wasn’t until November 2017 that senior official-level meetings resumed between these four nations. Summit-level meetings between their leaders didn’t begin until March 2021 during Donald Trump’s presidency.
There has been ongoing debate about whether the Quad should form a military alliance similar to NATO or pursue shared values and policy objectives without forming a counter-China alliance. Ahead of the upcoming summit, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that discussions about China would be high on the agenda.
While it is unlikely that an explicit military alliance will emerge from this summit, there have been efforts by Quad members to enhance their military cooperation through separate bilateral alliances and multilateral partnerships over time.
In addition to security concerns and enforcing international law in maritime areas like the South China Sea, other topics expected to be discussed include critical mineral exploration and extraction collaboration among Quad members as well as diversifying supply chains away from dependence on China.
During his tenure so far, President Biden has expanded discussions beyond regional security issues into areas such as COVID-19 response efforts and economic development projects within the Indo-Pacific region.
Looking ahead beyond President Biden’s term in office, it remains unclear how future US leadership may impact relations within the Quad; however experts predict continuity regardless of who assumes office after him.
