When foreign ministers from the U.S., Australia, India and Japan met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in late September, it represented a significant elevation for the status of this group -- known as the Quad.
Four-sided alliance with US, Australia and Japan offers needed friends

Donald Trump, left, Shinzo Abe, center, and Narendra Modi hold a meeting on June 28: the Quad's main strategic use is for signaling purposes. © Reuters
When foreign ministers from the U.S., Australia, India and Japan met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in late September, it represented a significant elevation for the status of this group -- known as the Quad.