China: Quad a force for global good; pillar of Indo-pacific stability: PM Modi

Quad is an important pillar of stability in the Indo-Pacific region and a force for global good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stated while addressing the maiden summit of the grouping that decided to “promote a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law to advance security and prosperity and counter threats to both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

In a clear but veiled message to China close on the heels of the long standoff along the Line of Actual Control Modi said India, USA, Australia and Japan are united by democratic values and commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

The PM was joined by his American, Australian, and Japanese counterparts Joe Biden, Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga, respectively. Inviting Modi to address the QUAD leaders, US President Joe Biden said to him, “It is great to see you.” “It is good to be among friends. I thank President Biden for this initiative,” PM Modi said.

The QUAD Leaders’ Summit on Friday was the first direct interaction between Modi and Biden since the latter was sworn in as the US President earlier this year.

Referring to the significance of Quad the PM in his address noted, “I see this positive vision as an extension of India’s ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which regards the world as one family.”

Expressing similar sentiments as Modi, Biden said, “…we’re renewing our commitment to ensure that our region is governed by international law, committed to upholding universal values, and free from coercion.”

In his remarks Morrison said, “It’s the Indo-Pacific that’ll now shape the destiny of the world in the 21st Century. As four leaders of great democracies in Indo-Pacific, let our partnership be an enabler of peace, stability and prosperity and to do so inclusively with many nations in the region”.

The joint statement encapsulated the focus of the Summit. It emphasised that the four countries are united in a shared vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. “We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion…we pledge to strengthen our cooperation on the defining challenges of our time,” the statement noted in a clear message for China’s aggression across the Indo-Pacific region.

“…we commit to promoting a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law to advance security and prosperity and counter threats to both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We support the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity. We commit to work together and with a range of partners. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Full of potential, the Quad looks forward to the future; it seeks to uphold peace and prosperity and strengthen democratic resilience, based on universal values… We will continue to prioritize the role of international law in the maritime domain, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas.” The four countries also emphasize the “urgent need to restore democracy and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience”.

The four leaders decided to respond to the economic and health impacts of COVID-19, combat climate change, and address shared challenges, including in cyber space, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, and humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief as well as maritime domains. The four will also begin cooperation on the critical technologies of the future to ensure that innovation is consistent with a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.