Security Cooperation Efforts in the Indo-Pacific

(Mains GS2: India and its Neighborhood- Relations & Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.)

Context:

• Quad partners are not only coming up with bilateral and other agreements among themselves but also bringing in other countries from Europe, such as France and the United Kingdom which reflects their seriousness about security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

About the QUAD:

• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (also known as the QUAD) is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, India and Australia that is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges and military drills between member countries.
• The initiation of an American, Japanese, Australian and Indian defense arrangement, modeled on the concept of a Democratic Peace.
• The forum was initiated as a dialogue in August 2007 by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on "seas of freedom and prosperity".

India’s engagement with QUAD:

• India’s engagement with the Quad goes back to China’s expanding footprint in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region over the last few years.
• China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, proposing logistical connectivity across Eurasia and the Indian Ocean, rang alarm bells in India as the projects were viewed as encroachments into India’s strategic space.
• India responded with an upgradation of its naval capabilities and enhancement of ties with the Indian Ocean Region littoral states and other major powers in the region.
• Separately, largely as a result of their shared concerns relating to the rise of China, India has been deepening its security ties with the U.S.

More widespread:

• There is a danger that the Quad as a group could be left behind as these other agreements become more widespread and more in-depth in their focus on security cooperation.
• Most recently, Japan and the U.K. signed a defense agreement that would facilitate deployment of troops in each other’s countries.
• The recent Japan-U.S. 2+2 meeting was another important indicator of Japan’s changing security approach.
• Both sides reiterated the importance of their relationship in the context of an assertive China, Russian invasion of a fellow U.N. member country, and North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons along with the delivery systems.
• Japan and Australia, also fellow Quad members, on January 6, 2022,  also signed an agreement similar to the one signed with the U.K., one that would facilitate “reciprocal access and cooperation” between the militaries of the two countries.
• Further, Japan and Australia inked a new bilateral security agreement that covers military, intelligence and space and cybersecurity cooperation. 
• The AUKUS treaty among Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. is another important new security agreement in the Indo-Pacific involving two of the Quad partners.

Defense and security arrangements:

• India is also stepping up its defense and security arrangements with other countries. 
• For instance, it has signed military logistics and reciprocal agreements with a number of countries, including Australia, Japan, the United States – the Quad countries – as well as with France, Singapore, and South Korea. 
• However, these do not appear to represent as deep a security cooperative agreement as the other members agreement with each other.

Conclusion:

• India has moved up to deepen its security cooperation with its partners, New Delhi may find that the Quad and its other bilateral security agreements are being rapidly outpaced by these new arrangements springing up in the Indo-Pacific.