Quad Needs U.S. Tech to Secure Indo-Pacific.

• Author: Goldberg, Jeff
• Position: INDIA Policy Points

President Joe Biden in May embarked on one of the most high-profile and consequential diplomatic trips of his administration.

Set against the backdrop of escalating global tensions--most notably Russia's invasion of Ukraine--the president journeyed to Asia with the strategic goal of bolstering historic relationships within the Indo-Pacific region. He met with several heads of state and provided greater context, and reassurance, on America's vision for a free and stable Pacific.

Despite an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda, arguably the most significant development that occurred during this trip was the reaffirmation of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue by its founding members. This geopolitically relevant quartet of partners, consisting of the United States, Australia, India and Japan, was originally constituted to serve as, what former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called, "the Asian Arc of Democracy." It would be a strategic dialogue, bolstered by increased diplomatic and military cooperation, with the purpose of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

However, this partnership, which was originally founded during the later years of the George W. Bush administration, did not always enjoy the same level of cooperation that it currently does. In fact, it has encountered numerous obstacles in its short history. Despite a promising start, competing priorities soon scuttled the Quad, as member nations, most notably Australia, sought to foster closer relations with the Chinese government.

In the interceding years, several key geopolitical developments emerged that necessitated a reconsideration of the suspended dialogue. For instance, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China began instituting a far more aggressive Indo-Pacific foreign policy than it had previously embraced. China began claiming wide swaths of territory in the South China Sea with the infamous "nine-dash line" and militarized islands throughout the region.

These concerning actions, coinciding with the U.S. "pivot" towards Asia, laid the groundwork for the revival of the Quad.

Unsurprisingly, the re-emergence of this arrangement has antagonized regional adversaries, most notably Beijing. Despite initially dismissing the strategic partnership as fleeting, or akin to "sea foam in the Pacific," Chinese attitudes have recently taken a more hostile tone. The Chinese government has accused the Quad of harboring NATO-like aspirations, with its foreign minister stating that it is...