Covid-19 and Quad’s “Soft” Reorientation

Abstract

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises a group of countries – the US, Japan, Australia, and India, that started maritime collaboration in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The initiative lasted for a brief period before falling apart in 2008. The countries re-banded together in 2017 to consult on ensuring greater security and prosperity in a “free and open Indo-Pacific region”, and a rules-based order. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the group has been partnering on soft security aspects such as vaccine development and distribution. The paper suggests that this allows the group to become first movers in the areas of specific functional challenges. This paper looks at the role of health diplomacy in the region as a soft power tool. The theory is based on the works of Professor Joseph Nye who first coined the term 'soft power'. It focuses on the role of India in strategic altruism to enhance Quad’s strategic influence in the region. Expanding global vaccine supply is an example of reaching out to low- and middle-income countries. The paper argues that enhancing such cooperative mechanisms will allow Quad to balance its cooperative and competitive outlook in the region, linking its security with prosperity and development objectives.