Quad takes on China, announces 1st joint coast guard mission
To counter China, the Quad countries – India, US, Australia and Japan -- have announced the first-ever joint coast guard mission. As part of it, smaller countries in the Indo-Pacific will be trained in maritime security. Another layer of technology will be added and real-time data be made available to keep an eye at sea.
The Quad leaders’ summit at Wilmington, Delaware, which concluded on Sunday morning, came out with a declaration, detailing the way forward. It mentioned the need for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and batted for a two-state solution to end the Israel-Gaza crisis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the summit, said, “Quad is not against anyone. We all support a rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of all issues.” US President Joe Biden hosted the meet, which was also attended by Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida.
As expected, the focus was on China. “Anchored by shared values, we seek to uphold the international order based on the rule of law,” the Wilmington declaration said. This was in reference to China not agreeing to 2016 UN-mandated arbitration of maritime boundaries in South China Sea. “The 2016 arbitral award is a significant milestone and basis for peacefully resolving disputes,” Quad leaders said.
China has launched its own negotiations to have a “code of conduct” with Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan on operating in the hydro-carbon rich South China Sea.
The Quad leaders said they were “seriously concerned” about the situation in East China Sea and South China Sea. The militarisation of disputed features and coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in South China Sea were concerning, the Quad joint statement read.
It listed the first-ever initiative, saying the US Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force and the Indian Coast Guard, had planned to launch a first-ever “Quad-at-Sea” ship observer mission in 2025. “This is to advance maritime safety,” the statement said.
The development comes weeks after Chinese maritime militia, using fishing vessels and aided by the Chinese Coast Guard, carried out dangerous manoeuvres to slam into Philippines fishing vessels and to threaten oil exploration activities.
Expanding to empower other countries to tackle Beijing, Quad announced the launch a new training module called Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI). This will be backed by additional layers of technology and real-time data to allow countries to monitor seas, secure their waters, enforce laws and deter unlawful behaviour. India will host the first such training workshop next year.
A maritime legal dialogue will support rules-based order while a pilot project will look at shared airlift capacity among nations. In the cyber domain, the Quad countries will address threats to identify vulnerabilities, protect national security networks and critical infrastructure networks.
The four countries have a plan to protect commercial undersea telecommunication cables. India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
The Quad also launched a partnership for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to enable rapid coordination in the face of natural disasters.
The UN Security Council reform also came up for discussion. “The expansion of permanent seats should include representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean,” the statement said.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it said, “We express our deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine”. The leaders reiterated the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
The leaders “unequivocally” condemned the terror attacks on Israel on October 7 last year and termed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “unacceptable”. “We remain committed to a sovereign, viable and independent Palestinian state taking into account Israel’s legitimate security concerns as part of a two-state solution,” the Quad said.
Any unilateral actions that undermined the prospect of a two-state solution, including Israeli expansion of settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end, it added.
