The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States: more symptom than solution to the problem of growing instability in the Indo-Pacific

Abstract

According to official statements, the main purpose of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ("Quad") is to intensify cooperation between the four partner countries - Australia, India, Japan and the United States - in tackling urgent challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. These include climate protection, health policy and maritime security. However, it is primarily the rise of China and the associated challenge to US hegemony in the region that brings together the four partners. In this context minilateral cooperation formats such as the Quad are gaining global importance. But more than 15 years after the start of formal meetings, and despite increased cooperation, the security dialogue between the four unequal partners appears more a symptom of regional instability than a remedy for it. (author's abstract)