Key facts
- Japan, India, and Australia are enhancing cooperation to mitigate risks from potential U.S. withdrawal from the Indo-Pacific.
- The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) aims to counter China's expanding influence in the region.
- The grouping faces internal divisions and uncertainty due to shifting U.S. policy signals and President Trump's rhetoric.
- India views the Quad as a means to stabilize its strategic relationship with the U.S.
- Japan supports accelerating Quad consultations amid China's growing assertiveness.
Japan, India, and Australia are increasing their cooperation as a hedge against potential U.S. policy shifts away from the Indo-Pacific, seeking to maintain the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue's (Quad) role in checking China's expanding influence.
The Quad, an informal strategic grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S., is designed to counter China's growing military power and influence in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the organization is reportedly under strain due to shifting U.S. policy signals and internal divisions, exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric towards the other member nations.
India, in particular, aims to leverage the Quad association to stabilize its bilateral relationship with the U.S. amidst ongoing geopolitical frictions. The last foreign minister-level Quad engagement occurred in Washington in July 2025, intended to restore continuity and momentum. A planned summit in Delhi attended by all four leaders, including President Trump, did not materialize, marking another setback for the grouping.
Japan has expressed continued interest in sustaining the Quad, backing efforts to accelerate consultations in light of China's increasing regional assertiveness. This comes as President Trump has reportedly urged Japan to increase its support for U.S. objectives, particularly concerning maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, by providing protection to critical energy routes. Trump has characterized Japan as benefiting from U.S.-led security guarantees without assuming sufficient operational responsibility.
Further underscoring unease within the Quad, President Trump invoked the memory of the Pearl Harbor attack during an interaction with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The Quad Foreign Ministers commemorated the 20th anniversary of their cooperation in December 2024, and a Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Delhi in May 2026.