The leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. met in Washington on Sept. 24 for their first in-person summit for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. The four "Quad" nations issued a joint statement calling for annual meetings of leaders and foreign ministers. The improving relations among these countries, which share values like freedom, democracy and the rule of law, is particularly significant in deterring an increasingly authoritarian China.
The Quad countries declared they would confront challenges to the maritime order in the East and South China seas, and that they would strengthen cooperation on infrastructure development, activities in space and advanced technological research. The moves come as the U.S. and China work to close each other off from their semiconductor and communication technologies.
