What's the four-nation Quad alliance and why does China oppose it?

As the White House seeks to demonstrate that the Ukraine warhas not diverted America's attention away from pressing Asian issues, it is now turning to "the Quad."

The informal alliance brings together the United States, Japan, India, and Australia in a coalition of democracies with common economic and security interests across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Officially, the goal is to preserve a "free and open Indo-Pacific," but the unspoken goal is to oppose China's expanding influence, which irritates Beijing's leadership.

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Critics slamthe Quad's sometimes murky goals and question how successful it can be given that certain members are fearful about offending China. Nonetheless, it is positioned to grow increasingly crucial as US-China tensions prevailand Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, reported The Washington Post.

Quad meeting in focus

The group has gained traction under the administration of US President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to visit Japan on May 17. He cancelled his trip to Australia, where Quad leaders were scheduled to meet on May 24. When the leaders met in Tokyo last year, they agreed on an initiative to combat illegal fishing throughout the Indo-Pacific, amid rising alarm over the operations of Chinese vessels.

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That was followed by a virtual meeting in 2021, the first-ever gathering of the Quad leaders, which resulted in an agreement to support India in order to speed the development of Covid-19 vaccines and disseminate them throughout Asia. This was not always the case with the group. It sat dormant for years before it was revived in 2017 by the United States under then-President Donald Trump, whose administration was determined to fight China, reported The Washington Post.

China on Quad

China has slammed the Quad as a vehicle for restraining its worldwide growth. China's Foreign Ministry has accused the organisation of working to undermine China's interests. Wang Wenbin, a ministry spokesperson, stated in April that the organisation "is steeped in the obsolete Cold War and zero sum mentality and reeks of military confrontation," adding that it "runs counter to the trend of the times and is doomed to be rejected."

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What do the critics say about Quad?

As per a Congressional Research Service report, some have criticised the Quad of being a talking shop that cannot speak with a unified voice and has any genuine institutional structure. Others are concerned that it would eventually develop into an Asian NATO, prompting a Chinese response. According to Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Indian authorities have been leery of prodding China while also sceptical of Australia's previously tight connections with Beijing. However, in 2020, India appeared to overcome its reluctance and requested Australia to rejoin the Malabar drills.

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