“Trump deserves credit for QUAD restart” : EAM S. Jaishankar at India-Japan Forum

At the India-Japan Forum, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discussed the Quad’s evolution and dynamics during a conversation with Indrani Bagchi. He credited the Trump administration for reviving the Quad and highlighted the challenges and progress amongst its members—India, Japan, the United States, and Australia.

The Trump Administration’s Role in the Quad’s Revival

EAM noted that the Quad’s revival began under the Trump administration. “The quad was restarted by the Trump administration. In 2017, the first year of the Trump Administration, was when it started at a vice minister level. Then in 2019, under the trump administration, it moved from the vice minister level to the foreign minister level. In 2020, when there was almost a global lockdown, one of the few physical diplomatic meetings that took place in the calender year was a Quad meeting in Tokyo. I would argue that the Trump administration deserves a lot of the credit for the takeoff of the Quad,” he said.

Addressing Perceptions of Weak Links

EAM highlighted the diverse perspectives of Quad members and the occasional perception of weak links. “The Quad has four different countries with four different histories. You agree on some things, you don’t agree on some things. Often what happens is that when you don’t agree on an issue, then another country would come and say that country is the weak link,” he explained.

He addressed shifting perceptions of the Quad’s unity. “Frankly in our country some people have said Japan is the weak link at times. There were times when the administration transitioned in the United States and no one was initially sure how the transition would affect the Quad. And remember, Australia was the country which in the initial round of Quad – we felt they pulled the plug on the Quad and they felt they should pull the plug before we did. Today we are beyond that phase. I don’t think there is a weak link in the Quad at all,” he asserted.