What to watch as Indo-Pacific ‘Quad’ leaders meet for first time

US President Joe Biden will meet fellow leaders from Japan, India, and Australia on Friday in first summit of its kind.

United States President Joe Biden on Friday will take part, virtually, in the first-ever meeting of leaders of the so-called “Indo-Pacific Quad” grouping – which includes the US, India, Japan and Australia. The informal partnership has long grappled with conflicting priorities, and different strategic and economic ties to China, but has been viewed by some as a bulwark against Beijing’s economic and military assertiveness in the region. The four countries first worked collectively in 2004, in response to the devastation of an earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean. In 2007, the countries aligned to tout a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, but were largely inactive amid pressure from China.