19 May 2023: Against the threat of China’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, the Quad members will be meeting up again for a security meeting in California. What is Quad?Read to know more.
Prior to the Quad Summit in Sydney on May 24, senior military officials from Quad member nations, which includes India's chief of defense staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan, are scheduled to meet in Sunnylands, California, for a major meeting on Indo-Pacific Security. This meeting is proof that the Quad is now elevating security ties.
But first, what is Quad?
The Quad is a group of four countries: the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. They decided to form this group because they want to work together to make sure the Indo-Pacific region, which includes the area around the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, is safe and peaceful.
They formed the Quad to help each other in different ways. They talk and meet regularly to discuss important things like protecting the environment, preventing problems like terrorism, and making sure countries in the region can trade with each other freely. They also help each other during times of natural disasters, like earthquakes or hurricanes.
The Quad was created because these countries realized that by working together, they can do more to solve problems and make the region better for everyone. They want to promote peace, cooperation, and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region, and they believe that by joining forces, they can achieve these goals.
The Quad is like a team of friends who have come together to help each other and make the world a better place. By working together, they hope to create a safer and happier future for the countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Admiral John C. Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, has invited General Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and General Angus Campbell, Chief of Defence Force, Australia, among others to the conference.
Since Australia, the UK, and the US have their own organization, Aukus, whose objective overlaps with that of Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), a vice-admiral rank representative of the UK chief of defense staff will also be likely to attend. General Chauhan is touring the US for the first time.
The Quad leaders have handled the subject of military cooperation carefully up until now, but the meeting of the military chiefs of the nations is seen as both a 'game-changer' and a swift reaction to the hostile challenge created by the Chinese in the Indo-Pacific.
Despite the then-US President Barack Obama was present when Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in September 2015 that Beijing had no intention of militarizing the disputed Spratly Islands, his party has done just the opposite by militarizing the entire South China Sea .
“India, after the 2020 PLA1 aggressions in East Ladakh is convinced that China has no intentions of resolving the boundary issue bilaterally and is putting pressure on India in the Eastern sector particularly in the Siliguri corridor. It is in this background that India has decided to take help from multilateral platforms such as QUAD to rein in the rampant aggression of the PLA on the land as well as the Indo-Pacific,” an Indian senior officer said.
What is PLA?
PLA stands for the People's Liberation Army.
The People's Liberation Army is the armed forces of the People's Republic of China.
The PLA was established in 1927 and played a significant role in the Chinese Civil War. After the Communist Party of China came to power in 1949, the PLA became the official military force of the country. Its primary responsibilities include national defense, safeguarding territorial integrity, and maintaining internal stability.
It's worth noting that the PLA operates under the control of the Chinese Communist Party and serves as the military arm of the country.
By sharing US-made military systems like the P 8I anti-submarine aircraft, C 130 J Hercules, C-17 heavy lift carriers, and Chinook helicopters, India, Japan, and Australia have already strengthened their defense cooperation.
India faces a significant threat from the PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean Region as a result of China sending no less than 53 surveillance and survey ships there between 2017 and 2021 (numbers since then are still being tallied), and the numbers are only expected to increase.
This is especially true given Beijing's plans to turn Hambantota into a dual-use seaport in the long run as well as its establishment of new ports in Cambodia.
India is also looking over the contents of a leaked memo addressed to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and titled "Pakistan's Difficult Choices," in which Hina Rabbani Khar, the country's foreign minister, calls for a "real strategic" partnership with China while staying away from the impression of pleasing the west.
Related articles by NewzPepper:
