Quad Solidarity: Do Not Backpedal on China Deterrence
Indian media have reported that the scheduled November leadership summit in India between the Quad, a cooperative framework consisting of the U.S., Japan, Australia and India, may be canceled.
The prevailing view is that the cooling of U.S.-India relations is the main reason for the postponement. Differences in the participating countries’ domestic issues and positions on trade are also being cited as the main reasons for the delay.
President Donald Trump has stated he will skip the summit. China, which is seeking to expand its military influence in the Indo-Pacific region, will be pleased about the cracks in the Quad's links.
In order to deter China, the U.S.-India relationship, which sustains the Quad, must not regress. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should strive to improve relations.
The Trump administration has imposed a punitive 50% tariff as a sanction against India, which the U.S. has criticized for buying large quantities of crude oil cheaply from Russia, which continues its invasion of Ukraine. India has vehemently opposed the move.
Also, Trump bragged that he had “resolved” the military clash between India and Pakistan this past May, and by inviting top Pakistani military brass to the White House, Trump rubbed India the wrong way, as it has been the position of successive Indian government administrations that there is no room for a third-party mediator in its problems with Pakistan.
India, which touts a diplomacy based on “strategic autonomy,” has remained nonaligned, siding with neither the United States nor the Soviet Union, even during the Cold War.
India joined the Quad because it takes seriously the common interest of “dealing with the threat from China,” with whom it shares a border and border issues.
However, in view of the chilly relationship with the U.S., India has started to indicate a shift toward not provoking China. In August, Modi attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, his first visit to China in seven years.
At a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the U.S. high tariff measures in mind, Modi said, “Given the great uncertainties in the world economy, it is vital for India and China to strengthen cooperation,” indicating a proactive view toward improving relations with China.
We must keep India engaged with the Quad.
We hope that Japan's next prime minister will collaborate with Australia, a Quad member, and will make an effort to mediate, including arranging a meeting between Modi and Trump.
The prevailing view is that the cooling of U.S.-India relations is the main reason for the postponement. Differences in the participating countries’ domestic issues and positions on trade are also being cited as the main reasons for the delay.
President Donald Trump has stated he will skip the summit. China, which is seeking to expand its military influence in the Indo-Pacific region, will be pleased about the cracks in the Quad's links.
In order to deter China, the U.S.-India relationship, which sustains the Quad, must not regress. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should strive to improve relations.
The Trump administration has imposed a punitive 50% tariff as a sanction against India, which the U.S. has criticized for buying large quantities of crude oil cheaply from Russia, which continues its invasion of Ukraine. India has vehemently opposed the move.
Also, Trump bragged that he had “resolved” the military clash between India and Pakistan this past May, and by inviting top Pakistani military brass to the White House, Trump rubbed India the wrong way, as it has been the position of successive Indian government administrations that there is no room for a third-party mediator in its problems with Pakistan.
India, which touts a diplomacy based on “strategic autonomy,” has remained nonaligned, siding with neither the United States nor the Soviet Union, even during the Cold War.
India joined the Quad because it takes seriously the common interest of “dealing with the threat from China,” with whom it shares a border and border issues.
However, in view of the chilly relationship with the U.S., India has started to indicate a shift toward not provoking China. In August, Modi attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, his first visit to China in seven years.
At a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the U.S. high tariff measures in mind, Modi said, “Given the great uncertainties in the world economy, it is vital for India and China to strengthen cooperation,” indicating a proactive view toward improving relations with China.
We must keep India engaged with the Quad.
We hope that Japan's next prime minister will collaborate with Australia, a Quad member, and will make an effort to mediate, including arranging a meeting between Modi and Trump.
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