Raisina Dialogue 2023 | The Quad evokes images of security partnership, of a development alliance, and even of a consultative committee. One and a half years since the first Leaders’ Summit, the Quad is now facing a choice between focusing on its core identity, or seeking the benefits that might come from being a more amorphous and reactive grouping.
As nations shift their attention to growth and the reconfiguration of their global economic partnerships, how will the Quad remain relevant? How does the re-emergence of land war in Europe implicate the future of a maritime grouping in the Indo-Pacific? The US has signed an ambitious tech partnership with Australia and the UK; is part of the I2U2 focused on West Asia; has entered into a new bilateral technology agreement with India; and has a close tech alliance with Japan. How do these overlapping agreements and partnerships integrate with the Quad’s tech agenda? What path can it pick between a tight, action-focused coalition and a relatively minimalist ambition that might more easily incorporate other actors in the Indo-Pacific?