PM MODI IN TOKYO FOR QUAD SUMMIT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo early on May 23, 2202, to attend the second in-person Quad Summit 2022. The Indian Prime Minister has a schedule for the next two days as he will meet the newly-elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden, and the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida. Quad Summit 2022 will also be the new Australian PM’s first Quad meet just a day after his swearing-in. Quad Summit 2022 will provide an opportunity to the four leaders of the leading economies to review the progress of the grouping’s initiatives as well as exchange views on the developments in the Indo-Pacific as well as the global issues of mutual interest. PM Modi’s visit to Japan from May 23-24 will also be crucial amid the Russia-Ukraine war where India’s stand at the UN is playing an important role in its relations with Russia and the United States.
PM MODI IN JAPAN AND QUAD SUMMIT
On May 23, Prime Minister Modi will attend an event convened by the US President Joe Biden to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). US President and PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting where they will discuss the further consolidation of India’s multifaceted bilateral relations with the US. The two leaders will also continue the dialogue on regional development and contemporary global issues. It will be a continuation of the conversation they already had on how they see the picture in Ukraine. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity aims at binding regional countries more closely through common standards in the areas including clean energy, supply-chain resilience, infrastructure and digital trade. Ahead of the Quad Summit 2022, China had also hit out saying that the US-led Indo-Pacific strategy is a ploy to create divisions and incite confrontation in the region.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUAD & AUKUS?
Prime Minister Modi has arrived in Washington DC for his visit to the United States of America. He was invited by US President Joe Biden. This is PMs first visit to any country beyond the neighbourhood since Covid-19 pandemic. He would also attend the QUAD summit along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister YoshihideSuga. However, this is different from the AUKUS (Australia- UK-US) Alliance that was recently announced.
WHAT IS QUAD?
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or QUAD is a strategic dialogue between four countries. These are the United States, India, Australia and Japan. The dialogue began in 2007 by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe along with the US Vice President Dick Cheney, Australian PM John Howard and Indian PM Manmohan Singh. The military exercise associated with it was the Malabar exercise.
WHAT IS AUKUS?
AUKUS is a trilateral security alliance between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. It was initiated on September 15, 2021. The pact would allow the US and UK to help Australia develop nuclear powered submarines and deploy them in the Pacific region. This would increase the presence of Western military in the Pacific. As of now no other country has been mentioned by the founding countries to be a party in this alliance and it is speculated that it may be a counter to China's increasing presence in the region.
INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK (IPEF)
Recently, India’s Prime Minister participated in an event in Tokyo to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). This economic initiative came a day before the second in-person summit of the Quad leaders (India, the US, Australia and Japan) in Tokyo.
What is the Significance of IPEF?
It is a US-led initiative that aims to strengthen economic partnership among participating countries to enhance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. The IPEF was launched with a dozen initial partners who together represent 40% of the world GDP.
Opportunity for Indo-Pacific Region: It is a declaration of a collective desire to make the Indo-Pacific region an engine of global economic growth.
An Economic Vision: The Indo-Pacific covers half the population of the world and more than 60% of the global GDP and the nations who will join this framework in the future, are signing up to work toward an economic vision that will deliver for all people.
WHAT IS INDIA'S VISION FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION?
India’s trade in this region is growing rapidly, with overseas investments being directed towards the East, e.g., the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, and the Free Trade Agreements with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Thailand. India has been active in championing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The US, Australia, and the members of the ASEAN have all expressed a common view that India plays a greater role in the region. India, along with its Quad partners, is upping its game in the Indo-Pacific. India’s view is to work with other like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region to cooperatively manage a rules-based multipolar regional order and prevent any single power from dominating the region or its waterways.
RELATED: US ANNOUNCED INDO-PACIFIC STRATEGY
Recently, the US administration has announced its long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy. The document focuses on building collective capacity to deal with challenges in the region. These include a focus on challenges from China, advancing the US relationship, a ‘Major Defense Partnership’ with India and supporting its role as a net security provider in the region.
What are the Key Points of US’ Indo-Pacific strategy?
Vision of Indo-Pacific: The US will seek an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure and resilient. One of the strategic actions outlined is investing in civil society, a free press and democratic institutions. AUKUS, a security alliance between Australia, the UK and the US has also been recently launched.
TEST YOURSELF
Q.1 From the given options, at which of the following places does the second in-person Quad Meeting was being held?
- New Delhi, India
- Washington DC, USA
- Canberra, Australia
- Tokyo, Japan: ANSWER
Q.2 Which of the following is the newly elected Australian Prime Minister who has replaced Scott Morrison & has attended the Quad Summit 2022?
- Anthony Albanese: ANSWER
- Carmel Tebbutt
- Bill Shorten
- None of the above-mentioned
Q.3 The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) , an economic initiative that came a day before the second in-person summit of the Quad leaders, is an initiative led by ________?
- India
- Australia
- United States of America: ANSWER
- Japan
Q.4 Which of the following nations have announced that the first in-person meeting of the Quad countries is going to be held where the heads of all the four countries (India, Japan, Australia, and the US) are going to attend the meeting?
- United States of America: ANSWER
- India
- Australia
- None of the above
Q.5 The idea of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) is first initiated by which of the following leaders and then supported by others?
- Japanese PM Shinzo Abe: ANSWER
- US Vice President Dick Cheney
- Australian PM John Howard
- Indian PM Manmohan Singh.
