Quad To Strengthen Maritime Security At Biden's Farewell Summit

Leaders from Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are set to unveil new security initiatives in the Indian Ocean during a Quad summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday.

This will be Biden's final summit as president, taking place near his hometown of Wilmington, ahead of the U.S. presidential election on November 5.

Photo Credit: PTI

Biden will meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to reinforce the significance of the Quad, which Biden considers a major foreign policy success, as reported by CNBC TV.

The group, originally formed out of mutual concerns over China, will announce plans to extend their Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness to include the Indian Ocean region.

As part of the new security measures, the leaders will launch joint coast guard operations, where Australian, Japanese, and Indian personnel will spend time aboard U.S. Coast Guard vessels. Additionally, the Quad members plan to deepen military logistics cooperation.

The summit will also introduce initiatives aimed at delivering critical security technologies, such as an open radio access network, to Pacific Island nations and Southeast Asia, regions that have become focal points in strategic competition with China, as reported by Reuters. A health initiative focused on combating cervical cancer will also be discussed.

Experts believe these outcomes will build on prior Quad efforts but mark an increasing shift toward security-related cooperation. This comes as China intensifies its territorial ambitions in the South and East China Seas. The security-focused initiatives are seen as a signal to Beijing about the Quad's stance on regional stability.

Lisa Curtis, an Asia policy expert at the Center for a New American Security, noted that India, which is not part of any military alliance, has historically been cautious about the Quad's potential militarization. However, China's recent aggressive actions in maritime regions may be pushing India toward greater security collaboration within the Quad, as per media reports.

Biden's hosting of the Quad summit is also seen as a move to solidify the group's framework before he leaves office. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Albanese also face potential leadership changes, underscoring the importance of institutionalizing the Quad's long-term efforts.

A senior U.S. official emphasized that the summit will demonstrate the Quad partners' strengthened strategic alignment and commitment to ensuring a stable Indo-Pacific. Despite changes in leadership, the official stressed that "the Quad is here to stay."

Australian Prime Minister Albanese also highlighted the joint concerns shared by Canberra and Washington over China's increasing influence in Pacific Island nations, particularly Beijing's growing role in regional security. He added that discussions at the summit will include ways to support developing nations, with a focus on climate change and energy security.