A day before he is set to arrive in China for the SCO Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's carefully crafted reply about India’s role in Quad is garnering attention. Quad, a grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, was formed to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
In an interview with Japanese website Nikkei Asia, Modi was asked about India’s role in the Quad and the upcoming summit meeting of the leaders, scheduled to be held in India. To this, Modi struck a cautious tone, never underplaying the significance of the Quad and its origin.
“It may be remembered that the Quad first came together as a spontaneous coordination among four democracies in response to the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. It started out as a platform to deliver public goods, but over time, it showed what we could achieve together. So, it has steadily evolved into a broader and more ambitious framework of cooperation,” said the Prime Minister, adding that Quad has acquired real momentum with its agenda covering a wide spectrum.
Modi then went on to stress the emphasis placed by Quad in the subregions of Indo-Pacific -- Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Indian Ocean rim, but carefully omitted any reference to China. “Beyond the initiatives and projects, what's even more important is what the Quad stands for. As vibrant democracies, open economies and pluralistic societies, we are committed to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s answer came as relations between India and China see signs of strengthening, casting a shadow over the relevance of the Quad.
With India-US relations worsening over the Trump tariff, many question whether the Quad will survive the trouble. It was the shared interest of Washington and New Delhi that revived the Quad, which was formed in 2007. The Quad was restored in 2017 during the first Trump administration in the face of growing assertiveness from Beijing. Many believed that if Washington and New Delhi let their bilateral tensions escalate, the Quad could be frozen, considering both Australia and Tokyo also have apprehensions over Trump.
However, India has struck a careful tone on the grouping, stating that the Quad continued to be an important platform for working on and promoting peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the Indo-Pacific region.
