India and the two QUADs: Importance of the grand coalitions to counter China's growing influence.

Abstract

Country-wise groupings or coalitions are products of contemporary political economy and strategic reality and, thus, often undergo cyclical movements of highs and lows. A group that was very active yesterday may turn into inactivity and oblivion today. The reverse could also be true. At the moment, the ‘Quad’ seems to be the flavour of the season.

In terms of its genesis, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (popularly called Quad) emerged as a strategic dialogue between the United States, India, Japan and Australia in 2007. The Quad was accompanied by a significant joint military exercise, called Exercise Malabar. The coalition was widely conceived as a response to increased Chinese economic and military power. The Chinese government responded to the Quad by issuing formal diplomatic protests to its members. Over the next ten years or so, the Quad went into inaction, primarily reflecting Australia’s somewhat ambivalent strategy towards China.