Devirupa Mitra 
New Delhi: Taking a more assertive stance on China’s actions in the South China Sea, the leaders of India, Japan, Australia, and the United States on Saturday (September 21) expanded their cooperation in maritime security across the Indo-Pacific, including joint coast guard operations and enhanced maritime monitoring.
At the final Quad summit of the Biden administration, US President Joe Biden hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at his alma mater, Archmere Academy, in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
The Quad joint statement, adopting stronger language than last year, expressed “serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas” without directly naming China.
“We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features and coercive, intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including the increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres,” said the Wilmington Declaration.
Less than two months ago, the foreign ministers of the four nations collectively supported the implementation of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling for the first time, a stance that was reaffirmed at the leadership level during the Quad summit on Sunday.
“We re-emphasise the universal and unified character of UNCLOS and reaffirm that it provides the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be conducted. We underscore that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and forms the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties,” the plurilateral statement declared.
While Australia, Japan, and the US had consistently supported the tribunal’s ruling, which favoured the Philippines over China, India shifted its stance in July last year. Beijing neither participated in the proceedings nor recognised the tribunal’s decision.
While the Quad nations insist that the grouping is not directed at any other country, the US president began the meeting with a briefing on China.
In comments inadvertently broadcast in a ‘hot mic’ after the opening press statements, Biden remarked that the US observers China’s recent diplomatic outreach as a “change in tactic, not a change in strategy”.
“At least from our perspective, we believe [Chinese President] Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimise the turbulence in China diplomatic relationships, and he’s also looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest,” he said.
Biden noted that the China continued to behave “aggressively” across the “the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Straits”.
“At the same time, we believe intense competition requires intense diplomacy. I spoke with President Xi in April. My National Security Advisor recently traveled to Beijing for a few a few weeks ago, and we see this engagement as important for conflict prevention and crisis management amidst our strategic competition, while we’ve secured some gains in US China about bilateral relations that are important,” he said.
Both Washington and Beijing have been engaging in regular talks, with Biden administration officials frequently visiting China in an effort to manage their complex relationship. Last August, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Beijing for discussions and also met with President Xi.
Biden’s remarks about China’s efforts to expand its diplomatic space hold particular relevance for India, as there are signs of attempts to improve the atmosphere ahead of the Chinese president and Indian prime minister’s participation in the BRICS summit next month in Russia. Political relations between India and China have remained largely frozen since the military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in April-May 2020.
Notably, the Quad unveiled new initiatives, including joint coast guard exercises and the regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), aimed at helping countries “monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behaviour”.
During a press briefing, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that the first ‘Quad-at-Sea’ Ship Observer mission will bring together the four coast guards in 2025, with a focus on enhancing interoperability.
“So in this one, the members of these four different forces will spend time onboard a US Coast Guard vessel operating in the Indo-Pacific. And as the name suggests, this is an observer mission and there will be, obviously, a certain amount of learning about practices, procedures and tactics. And the idea is to see what are the best practices that we can learn from other similar forces,” he said.
However, there was no clear indication if the first coast guard exercise would also take place in the South China Sea.
In addition, Quad partners plan to integrate new technology and data into the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) over the next year.
The Quad also announced a pilot project for the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network, aimed at improving shared airlift capacity for faster disaster response. Moreover, the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership will use its expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, working with regional partners.
India has offered 50 scholarships, valued at $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering program at a government-funded technical institution.
Biden also experienced a noticeable memory lapse toward the end of the event, struggling to recall whom he was supposed to introduce. “Whom am I introducing next?” the 81-year-old president asked, paused, and then abruptly said, “Who’s next?” After an awkward silence, Modi stood up to shake hands as an announcer introduced him as the next speaker.
The four leaders, in a separate event, launched the ‘Quad Cancer Moonshot’, a collaboration of scientific and medical capabilities aimed at decreasing the “burden of cancer in the region”.
In strong terms, the four democracies “condemn(ed) North Korea’s destabilising ballistic missile launches and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs).”
They also expressed “deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global non-proliferation regime.”
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, signalling a strengthening of their military ties.
The Quad countries collectively voiced concern over the Ukraine war without naming Russia, urging the need for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with international law.” However, there was no explicit call for both Russia and Ukraine to negotiate, unlike India’s repeated calls for dialogue.
Regarding the Gaza conflict, the Quad urged “all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire.” While expressing support for a two-state solution, the leaders stated, “Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including Israeli expansion of settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end.”
“We underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spilling over into the region,” the declaration added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host next year’s Quad summit, noted that their meeting occurs amidst global tensions and conflicts.
“In such a situation, it is crucial for the Quad to unite around our shared democratic values for the greater good of humanity. We are not against anyone. We all support a rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the peaceful resolution of all issues,” he said.
Echoing the last line of the Joint Declaration that the Quad is “here to stay,” he affirmed, “Our message is unequivocal: the Quad is here to stay, to assist, to partner, and to complement.”