QUAD Summit: From fellowship programme to space cooperation, highlights on pacts signed

As Prime Minister Modi, US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan participate in the second in-person QUAD summit in Tokyo, they focused on launching multiple new initiatives that further QUAD ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. QUAD partner countries signed a new major initiative Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) that will provide more transparent, quick and precise maritime information to the four allies and their regional partners. 

QUAD grouping leaders met on May 24, 2022, in Tokyo for the fourth time, and they focused on ways to advance their common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific via robust cooperation to tackle the diverse 21st century regional challenges. COVID-19 Response and Global Health Security, Climate, Critical and Emerging Technologies, Cyber, Space, and Infrastructure—were among the key initiatives to foster a prosperous Indo-Pacific.

India also joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) to drive a stronger, fairer, more resilient economy. The IPEF initiative has been launched by the United States to counter China’s growing economic influence in the Asia Pacific region. 

“We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force, any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, and freedom of navigation and overflight, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and to the world,” said the four QUAD leaders in a joint statement. 

Various discussions held at the QUAD summit

QUAD leaders discussed China’s security pact signed with the Soloman Islands that involves deploying Chinese security forces in the Pacific island nation, as well as using its ports that would give Beijing a strategic foothold in the region. This has erupted security concerns for the QUAD partners. The four countries also discussed the self-administered Taiwan island’s issue, as Biden made first-ever critically threatening remarks against Beijing, saying that the United States would bring its military if China attempts to take Taiwan “by force.”

"That's the commitment we made,” he reminded, adding that Washington agreed with the One China policy but won’t tolerate an Ukraine-style invasion. 

US, India, Australia and Japan also discussed responses to the conflict in Ukraine, and the ongoing tragic humanitarian crisis, and assessed its implications for the Indo-Pacific. Quad Leaders reiterated our strong resolve to maintain peace and stability in the region and underscored unequivocally that the centrepiece of the international order is international law, including the UN Charter that maintains sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. Leaders also pledged to further strengthen cooperation with Pacific island countries. 

The issue of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was also discussed, and the four agreed that this is consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). “We also condemn North Korea’s destabilizing ballistic missile development and launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile tests, in violation of UNSCRs, and call on the international community to fully implement these resolutions,” they said in a joint statement. 

The QUAD leaders also confirmed the necessity of immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees, and the crisis in Myanmar, which has caused grave humanitarian suffering and posed challenges to regional stability. “We reaffirm our support for ASEAN-led efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar,” QUAD partners stated. 

Initiatives taken during the QUAD summit

The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness  

QUAD has struck a major maritime initiative: the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) in consultations with regional partners for maritime security of the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region—in the Indo-Pacific. IPMDA will offer a near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness picture. This initiative will transform the ability of partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores and, in turn, to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Harnessing commercially-available data using existing technologies

QUAD partners focused on advancing technological aspects and providing an unprecedented “common thread” via a combination of Automatic Identification Systems and radio-frequency technologies. " Because of its commercial origin, this data will be unclassified, and that will allow the QUAD and its regional partners to benefit from the technology. 

Information-sharing across existing regional fusion centres

QUAD leaders signed an initiative to extend the support for information-sharing across existing regional fusion centres. This includes the Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region, based in India; the Information Fusion Center, based in Singapore; the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, based in the Solomon Islands, and the Pacific Fusion Center, based in Vanuatu, both of which receive support from Australia.

Quad also pledged to identify future technologies that will allow IPMDA to remain a cutting-edge partnership that promotes stability throughout the region. 

The Quad Fellowship

Quad Fellowship, which will sponsor 100 American, Australian, Indian, and Japanese students to study in the United States each year for graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This initiative involves scholarships, immersive and inspiring events at the nexus of STEM and society, mentorship and career-advancing programming, and cross-cultural exchange opportunities. The applications are open here until June 30, 2022. 

Quad Vaccine Partnership and Global Health Security

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, QUAD leaders focused on bolstering global health security. United States pledged to provide COVID-19 boosters and pediatric doses to countries. And Biological E, Ltd facility in India will continue to use expanded vaccine-manufacturing capacity as part of the Quad Vaccine Partnership. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and EXIM India decided to support a $100 million facility, which will bolster the Indian health care sector. 

Climate Change 

QUAD leaders will launch further efforts on green shipping, energy supply chains, disaster risk reduction, and the exchange of climate information services to tackle climate change in Indo-Pacific nations, particularly on Pacific Islands. QUAD nations will also cooperate on disaster risk reduction for extreme weather events, including through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). QUAD's Climate and Information Service Task Force, is dedicated to integrating and facilitating climate information services to the broader Indo-Pacific. Four countries will also advance the development of clean hydrogen and clean ammonia fuels and launch a series of roundtables on mitigating methane emissions across our liquified natural gas (LNG) sectors. 

Space

QUAD countries are strengthening cooperation and pooling our collective expertise to exchange satellite data, enable capacity-building, and consult on norms and guidelines. They made commitments to the free, full, and open sharing of space-based civil Earth observation data. They will set the stage for additional disaster mitigation and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. An initiative to implement the Long-Term Sustainability (LTS) Guidelines for Indo-Pacific countries focused on LTS implementation and on how LTS implementation was also taken. 

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure

QUAD will strengthen information-sharing among Quad country Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT). It will also improve software and Managed Service Provider (MSP) security by coordinating cybersecurity standards for Quad governments’ procurement of software. Quad leaders launched the Quad Infrastructure Coordination Group to deepen collaboration for digital connectivity, advancing transportation infrastructure, clean energy and climate resilience.