As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, it becomes ever more necessary to re-examine the shifting balance of global influence and geopolitical relations. During the 20th century, multinational security treaties served a valuable role in uniting ideologically aligned nations and maintaining security and peace in Europe and the Atlantic, and now many believe the time has come for a similar strategic agreement between nations of the Indo-Pacific. First proposed in 2007, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or “The Quad” would be a new cooperative organization consisting of (for the time being) Japan, the United States, India and Australia. While the group is still in the planning and discussion stage, in March 2021 the four member states issued a “Spirit of the Quad” joint statement, in which they expressed the desire for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and a “rules-based maritime order”. Earlier this year, four foreign policy experts, representing each of the four nations, met for an online seminar titled “Quad Over Troubled Waters: What challenges await the Quad in the Indo-Pacific?” as part of the Asia Undercurrents webinar series sponsored by the Japanese government and hosted by Nikkei and Nikkei Asia.

The webinar was moderated by Mr. Michael J. Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The other panelists were Mr. Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at Australia National University, Ms. Darshana Baruah, Associate Fellow of the Southeast Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Mr. Nobukatsu Kanehara, Professor at Doshinsha University and Senior Advisor to The Asia Group

To hear the entire discussion, and to listen to other talks in the Asia Undercurrent series, please visit Nikkei Asia: https://channel.nikkei.co.jp/asiaundercurrent2.html