The Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States have given new momentum to the strategic Quad alliance, announcing concrete projects ranging from the construction of a port in Fiji to cooperation on critical minerals and energy security.
Held in New Delhi, the meeting aimed to send a clear signal of the intent to move from words to action in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific, where great power rivalry grows more pronounced every day.
A MEETING TO REGAIN MOMENTUM
The meeting of ministers Penny Wong for Australia, Sashs Jaishankar for India, Toshimitsu Motegi for Japan, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the third of this level since autumn 2024.
As Reuters writes, the goal was to inject new energy into the Quad after a period in which the format had lost some momentum, especially due to the absence of a leaders’ summit.
Rubio emphasized that the group is beginning to show “real and concrete results,” calling it the “pillar and cornerstone” of the American global strategy. “We are deeply committed to this partnership,” declared the US Secretary of State, trying to dispel doubts that had emerged in recent months.
Japanese minister Motegi also spoke of an opportunity to send a “firm and unequivocal” message about the Quad’s evolution towards more operational cooperation.
WHAT IS THE QUAD
The Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) is an informal strategic alliance born in 2007 on the initiative of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
It is not a formal military alliance like NATO, but a flexible cooperation mechanism among four major democracies of the Indo-Pacific. The forum was initially suspended and then relaunched in 2017.
Its main objective is to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, based on respect for international law, freedom of navigation, and multilateral rules.
In practice, the Quad aims to counter China’s increasingly assertive influence in the region, collaborating on various fronts: maritime security, ocean surveillance, development of resilient infrastructure, supply chains, energy security, emerging technologies.
THE FIRST MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT: THE PORT IN FIJI
Among the most significant announcements made at the Indian meeting is the decision to jointly build a port in Fiji, the Quad’s first common infrastructure project in the Pacific region. Rubio announced this directly, explaining that the initiative arises to address the insufficient port capacity of the Pacific islands.
Minister Wong highlighted how the Quad wants to offer “real choices” to the countries in the area, especially as China continues to expand its economic and strategic presence.
As reported by Asia Financial, Australia also emphasized the goal of connecting the South Pacific islands through new submarine cables by the end of the year, an important step to economically integrate them with the Quad democracies rather than with Beijing.
$20 BILLION TO REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON CHINA FOR CRITICAL MINERALS
The four countries launched an ambitious cooperation framework on critical minerals, aiming to mobilize up to $20 billion from public and private funds.
The initiative aims to strengthen the entire supply chain – from extraction to processing to recycling – as detailed by The National.
Washington and New Delhi also signed a separate bilateral agreement on this front to reduce vulnerability to supply monopolies.
Rubio insisted that this framework will guide the use of economic policy tools and coordinated investments to diversify supplies. A particularly sensitive issue for Japan, which has previously suffered Chinese restrictions on strategic minerals for the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries.
ENERGY SECURITY AND MARITIME SURVEILLANCE
On the energy front, the ministers launched an Indo-Pacific initiative for energy security, with the United States ready to host a forum dedicated to fuel security.
Wong warned of risks arising from a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, underlining the serious consequences for regional energy security. Jaishankar, for his part, spoke of the Quad’s growing responsibilities on issues such as maritime trade, energy, and fertilizers, especially in a context of increasing economic activity in the area.
In parallel, a new integrated maritime surveillance system was announced to share real-time information, with an initial focus on the Indian Ocean.
The four countries expressed “serious concern” over the situation in the East and South China Seas, condemning the militarization of disputed features and coercive actions, as reported by the Japan Times. They also reiterated opposition to any obstacles to freedom of navigation.
BEIJING’S REACTION
Beijing responded promptly to the Quad’s initiatives. As Reuters reports, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated that cooperation among countries “must contribute to regional peace and stability” and must not “target any third party.”
China, the spokeswoman added, views the Quad as an attempt to contain Beijing’s growth and rejects the formation of “exclusive cliques” or bloc confrontations.
TOWARDS A LEADERS’ SUMMIT?
The question of a possible Quad leaders’ summit by the end of the year remains open.
Rubio confirmed that diplomats are working in this direction, but for now the group is proceeding determinedly at the ministerial level.
Analysts cited by Reuters and Japan Times believe that, even in the absence of high-level meetings, the continuity of work among ministers and officials can keep the format fully relevant in the face of the structural challenge posed by China.
Jaishankar described the meeting as “an exercise of considerable value,” while Motegi spoke of a clear message about the Quad’s future. Despite past bilateral tensions – especially between Washington and New Delhi over tariffs and the purchase of Russian oil – the four partners seem determined to focus on concrete and tangible results.
