Quad grouping becomes increasingly irrelevant amid US-China relations shift

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with foreign ministers from India, Japan, and Australia in New Delhi on Tuesday as part of a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) meeting. The gathering comes amid shifting US priorities and growing concerns over the alliance’s purpose.

The Quad was formed in 2007 to counterbalance China’s rise in the Asia-Pacific region. However, under President Donald Trump’s second term, starting January 2025, the coalition has faced challenges. Washington has begun to shift its military focus away from Asia towards the Middle East and Western Hemisphere.

US forces have been deployed to the Middle East, and during a recent operation against Iran, they used more than half of their pre-war stockpile of critical munitions. This has raised concerns among US allies in Asia that they can no longer rely on Washington for military defense.

Meanwhile, there has been a growing rapprochement between the US and China through trade deals and diplomatic efforts. The first visit by a US president to China in nearly a decade was also made during Trump’s presidency.

Analysts say the Quad is struggling to define its purpose as Washington courts Beijing and shifts its military focus away from Asia. “It’s essentially damage control,” said Umi Ariga, an analyst at the Japan Institute for International Affairs. The meeting in New Delhi this week aims to revive the alliance’s relevance.

Beijing-based political analyst Einar Tangen believes Rubio’s visit to India before the meeting reveals Washington’s underlying anxiety. From Beijing’s perspective, Rubio’s trip shows that Washington is trying to reassure its partners after a perceived diplomatic asymmetry with China. The US and China have been engaging in trade deals and diplomatic efforts, but there has been no strategic concessions from China.

The Quad meeting this week follows US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India, which some analysts see as a last-ditch attempt to reinvigorate the alliance. However, the future of the Quad remains uncertain as Washington continues to shift its priorities and Beijing pursues its own regional agenda.

Source: Al Jazeera