Explained: What's the 4-nation Quad, where did it come from?

China has complained that the Quad represents an attempt at forming an “Asian NATO”

Leaders of the U.S., Japan, Australia and India gathered in Tokyo on May 24 for a summit of the “Quad”. What is the group, where did it come from and why do diplomats keep coming up with strange names for various partnerships?

Formally the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Quad began as a loose partnership after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when the four countries joined together to provide humanitarian and disaster assistance to the affected region. It was formalized by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, but then fell dormant for nearly a decade, particularly amid Australian concerns that its participation in the group would irritate China.

The group was resurrected in 2017, reflecting changing attitudes in the region toward China's growing influence. Both the Trump and Biden administrations saw the Quad as key to a pivot toward placing more focus on the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as a counterweight to China's assertive actions. The Quad leaders held their first formal summit in 2021 and met again virtually in March.

China has complained that the group represents an attempt at forming an “Asian NATO,” though unlike the European alliance there is no mutual-defence pact in effect. Quad members say the group is meant to deepen economic, diplomatic and military ties among the four countries. And while they don't often explicitly say it, those partnerships are meant to be a bulwark against Chinese aggression.

In a March 2021 declaration laying out the “Spirit of the Quad,” the leaders said, “We bring diverse perspectives and 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.”

Tuesday's meeting marks the first in-person gathering of the group for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office last October, as well as for Australia's new prime minister, Anthony Albanese. He was sworn in on Monday, just two days after Australia's parliamentary election and one day before the summit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending as he faces increasing global scrutiny over his government's crackdown on minorities and some authoritarian tendencies. In addition, while the other members of the Quad have been united in standing up against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, especially with sanctions, India increased its purchases of Russian energy supplies after the invasion. Moreover, the invasion has led to food shortages that are causing price spikes, yet India banned wheat exports following a heat wave that could make this global challenge much tougher to resolve.