It%20was%20announced%20last%20week%20that%20the%20Quad%20%28a%20grouping%20of%20USA%2C%20Japan%2C%20India%20and%20Australia%29%20would%20be%20meeting%20virtually%20at%20the%20highest%20level%20on%2012%20March%2C%20departing%20from%20its%20earlier%20practice%20of%20meeting%20at%20the%20Foreign%20Ministers%20level.%20What%20has%20suddenly%20happened%20to%20justify%20such%20a%20major%20elevation%3F

After%20taking%20over%2C%20the%20Biden%20administration%20has%20affirmed%20that%20it%20would%20have%20%u201Cextreme%20competition%u201D%20with%20China%20and%20hold%20Beijing%20accountable%20for%20its%20human%20rights%20abuses%2C%20unfair%20economic%20policies%20and%20aggression%20against%20its%20neighbours.

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In%20his%20phone%20conversation%20with%20the%20Chinese%20President%20Xi%20Jingping%20on%20February%2011%2C%20the%20US%20President%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/in-message-to-china-joe-biden-to-meet-australia-india-japan-pms%22%3E%20Joe%20Biden%3C/a%3E%20had%20conveyed%20his%20concerns%20about%20China%u2019s%20political%20persecution%20in%20Hong%20Kong%2C%20Xinjiang%2C%20aggressive%20actions%20against%20USA%u2019s%20allies%20and%20partners%20and%20unfair%20economic%20policies.%20Dismissing%20these%2C%20Chinese%20President%20Xi%20Jingping%20has%20continued%20to%20implement%20a%20harsh%20national%20security%20law%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20eroding%20the%20foundations%20of%20democracy%20and%20brazen%20assaults%20on%20the%20human%20rights%20of%20China%u2019s%20ethnic%20minorities%20such%20as%20Uighurs%2C%20Tibetans%20and%20others%20calling%20these%20as%20China%u2019s%20internal%20affair.

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With%20a%20view%20to%20pressurise%20Japan%20to%20distance%20itself%20from%20the%20USA%2C%20China%u2019s%20coastguard%20vessels%20have%20been%20making%20repeated%20forays%20near%20the%20Diaoyus%20islands%20in%20East%20China%20Sea%20claimed%20by%20Japan.%20Similarly%2C%20China%20has%20continued%20its%20trade%20boycott%20of%20Australia%20by%20banning%20exports%20of%20its%20barley%2C%20wheat%2C%20cotton%2C%20iron%20ore%2C%20wines%20and%20other%20items.Mounting%20similar%20pressure%20on%20India%2C%20China%20is%20dithering%20to%20withdraw%20its%20troops%20from%20areas%20occupied%20after%20April%2C%202020%20in%20Demchok%2C%20Gogra%2C%20Hot%20Springs%20and%20Depsang%20plains.

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With%20a%20view%20to%20dialogue%20with%20Beijing%20on%20these%20issues%20from%20a%20position%20of%20strength%2C%20President%20Biden%20has%20decided%20to%20elevate%20the%20Quad%20to%20the%20highest%20level%20to%20send%20an%20unambiguous%20signal%20to%20China.%20USA%20is%20considering%20to%20organise%20a%20comprehensive%20meeting%20with%20China%20at%20Alaska%20or%20another%20location%20at%20a%20high%20level.%20Underlining%20Quad%u2019s%20importance%2C%20a%20US%20State%20Department%20spokesman%20stated%20that%20the%20Quad%20was%20well%20equipped%20to%20deal%20with%20the%20world%u2019s%20urgent%20challenges%20though%20its%20format%20was%20%u201Cnot%20about%20any%20single%20competitor%u201D%28not%20to%20isolate%20China%29.%20USA%20is%20currently%20deputing%20its%20Secretary%20of%20State%20and%20Defence%20Secretary%20to%20the%20Quad%20countries%20and%20potential%20new%20members%20such%20as%20South%20Koreato%20consult%20them%20on%20areas%20of%20common%20concern.

India%20was%20reportedly%20the%20last%20country%20among%20the%20Quad%20to%20agree%20to%20its%20elevation%20as%20it%20carefully%20considered%20how%20it%20would%20impact%20its%20traditional%20friendship%20with%20Russia%20and%20disengagement%20of%20the%20Chinese%20troops%20from%20the%20remaining%20friction%20points%20in%20Ladakh.%20Chinese%20Foreign%20Minister%20Wang%20Yi%20had%20suggested%20earlier%20that%20Beijing%20and%20New%20Delhi%20should%20stop%20undercutting%20each%20other%20and%20create%20enabling%20conditions%20by%20expanding%20bilateral%20cooperation%20to%20resolve%20the%20border%20issue.%20After%20the%20Japanese%20Prime%20Minister%20Suga%u2019s%20phone%20call%20with%20Prime%20Minister%20Modi%20on%20March%209%2C%20India%20took%20the%20decision%20that%20there%20was%20value%20in%20elevating%20the%20Quad%20to%20the%20highest%20level.

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Japan%20is%20our%20major%20economic%20partner%20and%20in%202018-19%2C%20it%20spent%20%24%204.9%20billion%20on%20its%20development%20assistance%20to%20India.%20Japan%20is%20funding%20the%20high-speed%20rail%20link%20between%20Mumbai%20and%20Ahmedabad%2C%20a%20dedicated%20freight%20corridor%20in%20Western%20India%20and%20another%20between%20Chennai%20and%20Bangalore.%20In%20August%202020%2C%20Japan%20extended%20a%2050%20billion%20yen%20emergency%20loan%20and%20a%201%20billion%20yen%20grant%20to%20India%20for%20developing%20its%20health%20infrastructure.%20After%20Prime%20Minister%20Suga%20took%20over%2C%20he%20assured%20India%20that%20the%20thrust%20on%20Indo-Japanese%20relations%20would%20continue%20unaltered.

So%20far%2C%20the%20Quad%20countries%20have%20been%20working%20together%20to%20counter%20China%20without%20creating%20an%20overtly%20anti-Beijing%20alliance.%20In%20the%20past%2C%20they%20have%20held%20joint%20military%20exercises%20and%20discussed%20cooperation%20in%20counter-terrorism%2C%20maritime%20security%2C%20measures%20against%20fighting%20COVID-19%2C%20emerging%20and%20critical%20technologies%20and%20establishing%20resilient%20supply%20chains%20%28bypassing%20China%29%20in%20critical%20goods.Tomorrow%u2019s%20meeting%20is%20also%20likely%20to%20discuss%20financing%20arrangements%20to%20support%20increased%20manufacturing%20capacity%20in%20India%20for%20supply%20of%20coronavirus%20vaccines%20to%20other%20countries.

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China%u2019s%20attitude%20towards%20the%20Quad%20has%20varied%20from%20dismissing%20it%20as%20%u201Csea%20foam%u201D%20to%20calling%20it%20as%20an%20%u201CAsian%20or%20Indo-Pacific%20NATO%u201D.%20China%20thinks%20that%20the%20Quad%20countries%20can%u2019t%20gang%20up%20against%20her%20as%20their%20interests%20are%20too%20intertwined%20with%20China%20and%20ultimately%20the%20US%20attempts%20would%20be%20frustrated.

The%20Quad%20countries%20have%20to%20move%20forward%20to%20convey%20a%20common%20resolve%20%28e.g.%20joint%20statements%29on%20China%u2019s%20aggression%20against%20member%20countries%20and%20frontline%20ASEAN%20states%20such%20as%20Philippines%2C%20Vietnam%20and%20others.%20With%20inclusion%20of%20UK%2C%20EU%20and%20Asian%20countries%2C%20they%20need%20to%20act%20on%20building%20new%20supply%20chains%2C%20denial%20of%20sensitive%20technologies%20to%20and%20boycotting%20of%20China%20made%20telephone%2C%20power%20and%20other%20infrastructural%20equipment%20impinging%20on%20their%20national%20security.%20Similarly%2C%20they%20need%20to%20deepen%20their%20cooperation%20in%20maritime%20security%20through%20coordinated%20operations%2C%20access%20to%20their%20military%20facilities%2C%20sharing%20of%20experiences%20and%20assist%20in%20building%20their%20collective%20military%20and%20technological%20resilience.%20Only%20then%20will%20China%20take%20the%20Quad%20seriously.

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Quad%22%20data-user-id%3D%22VBwhqdsDGbEw%22%20href%3D%22/topic/quad%22%3E%23Quad%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UnitedStates%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Lgr3hTOPJ0yv%22%20href%3D%22/topic/unitedstates%22%3E%23UnitedStates%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23JoeBiden%22%20data-user-id%3D%22tLOXw4T5mTfp%22%20href%3D%22/topic/joebiden%22%3E%23JoeBiden%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23China%22%20data-user-id%3D%22gtTvlJMpH5eQ%22%20href%3D%22/topic/china%22%3E%23China%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23USChinaTies%22%20data-user-id%3D%22JAyGdeTBJElG%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uschinaties%22%3E%23USChinaTies%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23India%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Bq4MmUPrXF8p%22%20href%3D%22/topic/india%22%3E%23India%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B