Quad Powers Boost Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Amid China Concerns

Leaders of the Quad nations—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—met to expand their Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness to include the Indian Ocean region. Hosted by President Joe Biden, the summit emphasized increased military logistics cooperation and joint coast guard operations. China’s growing maritime aggression was a focal point, prompting new security initiatives from the Quad to counteract Beijing’s influence.

Leaders of the Quad nations—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—are taking new security measures in the Indian Ocean as U.S. President Joe Biden hosts counterparts from the Quad grouping. Established due to shared concerns about China, Biden welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a four-way meeting near his Delaware hometown on Saturday. The meeting stressed the importance of maintaining the Quad as Biden views it as a signature foreign policy achievement before leaving office post the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.

The leaders announced plans to expand the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness to include the Indian Ocean, senior Biden administration officials revealed. Plans include joint coast guard operations involving personnel from Australia, Japan, and India on a U.S. coast guard vessel, along with increased military logistics cooperation.

While the White House downplayed suggestions that the Quad summit targeted any nation specifically, Biden opened the group session with a briefing on China. He highlighted China's shifting tactics while maintaining its strategy, continuing to test U.S. resilience in the South China and East China Seas and the Taiwan Strait.

(With inputs from agencies.)