QUAD Summit 2024: A New Maritime Security Spearhead

Photo: 6th QUAD Summit, Sources: US Embassy in India

New Contents in the QUAD6 Joint Statement

First, the QUAD6 Declaration for the first time expressed "deep concern about the situation in East China and the South China Sea”, and "strongly opposed" the "dangerous" use of coast guard vessels and maritime militias. The declaration also reaffirmed that disputes must be resolved peacefully based on the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) [1]. Previously, the QUAD had generally opposed unilateral changes to the status quo by force, supported freedom of navigation and overflight, and advocated for UNCLOS compliance without explicitly mentioning "deep concerns" about the South China Sea and East China Sea [2]. This statement was made in the context of increasingly dangerous interceptions between China and the Philippines around Second Thomas Shoal, Scarborough Shoal, and Sabin Shoal in 2024. Chinese ships have been repeatedly firing water cannons, ramming, and shooting lasers at Philippine vessels in these areas. The peak of these tensions was the incident on 17 June 2024 when Chinese forces forcibly injured a Filipino [3]. This tension threatens territorial stability, with some experts expressing concern that the conflict in the South China Sea might compel the United States to intervene directly under the Mutual Defense Agreement (MDT) signed with the Philippines in 1951.

Second, the QUAD6 also affirmed for the first time the universality and integrity of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Statements from the QUAD between 2021 and 2023 highlighted the importance of adhering to international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and to maintain maritime order and security [4]. QUAD6 further underscored the value of UNCLOS: "We emphasize that UNCLOS has universal value and establishes the legal framework that all activities at sea must comply with." [5] This statement represents a stronger and clearer commitment to the "constitution of the sea," aimed at managing maritime activities and preventing collisions and conflicts between nations in the region [6].

Third, for the first time, the QUAD publicly endorsed the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Award on the South China Sea. Specifically, the statement affirmed that "The 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Award is a breakthrough and a basis for the peaceful settlement of disputes between the parties to the case."[7] Previously, QUAD statements from 2021 to 2023 mentioned UNCLOS but did not make much reference to the ruling. This rhetorical shift thus may be due to the QUAD being able to adopt a more unified stance on the ruling compared to past years. In 2023, India has made some notable adjustments in its position [8]. In a joint statement between Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo in June 2023, the two sides stressed the necessity "to comply with UNCLOS and the Arbitral Tribunal Award in the South China Sea dispute." [9] Consequently, India's position has thus aligned with the rest of the QUAD members.

Fourth, the QUAD has proposed several new cooperative initiatives on regional maritime security, including:

The Indo-Pacific Maritime Affairs Training Initiative (MAITRI) aims to support countries in the region to fully exploit the benefits of the Partnership for Maritime Space Awareness (IPMDA) and other QUAD initiatives to monitor, enforce the law, prevent illegal activities, and ensure maritime safety. India is expected to host the QUAD7 Summit in 2025 and the MAITRI Summit.
The QUAD's Maritime Surveillance Program by 2025 aims to enhance operational coordination among the Coast Guard forces of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, thereby promoting maritime security and coordinated future missions in the Indo-Pacific. Yet the QUAD needs to further discuss and define specific cooperation activities for 2025.
The QUAD’s Seaport Future Partnership Program aims to strengthen cooperation by providing QUAD expertise to support the development of sustainable and resilient seaport infrastructure in Indo-Pacific countries. The QUAD will share information and best practices in seaport infrastructure development with countries in the region. The QUAD will also mobilize resources from governments and businesses to invest in the marine infrastructure of countries. India will host the Regional Transport and Seaports Workshop in 2025.
The QUAD also announced the potential expansion of the Open Radio Interconnection Network (RAN) Projects to include Southeast Asian countries. The QUAD's RAN project aims to support a secure, sustainable, and continuous communication system. The QUAD has committed $20 million to the project, which has been piloted in Palau. In Southeast Asia, the QUAD plans to support RAN pilot programs and open the Asian RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines.

Some preliminary comments

Through the above analysis of the statement, the timing of the summit and the initiatives, some speculations could be drawn as follows:

QUAD6 was held as the leaders of Japan and the United States were near the end of their terms, reflecting the efforts and commitments of the four countries to maintain cooperation and continue to promote cooperative agendas. QUAD was formed in 2007, but its operation was temporarily halted in 2008 due to Australia's lack of interest. The QUAD was re-established a decade later and QUAD summits have been ongoing since 2021, and there have been attempts to prevent the QUAD from being interrupted. In 2024, there have been speculations - which have been proven wrong - regarding the suspension of QUAD simmits due to elections in the US and Japan. Therefore, QUAD6 demonstrates the efforts and commitment of all four countries.
The joint statement shows that the QUAD places a strong emphasis on maritime security. The introduction of 3 specific initiatives including maritime patrol cooperation initiative between the Coast Guard forces of the 4 QUAD countries, the marine awareness training initiative for IPMDA and the seaport cooperation initiative for relief and rescue together indicate the focus of QUAD and the grouping’s desire for practical cooperation, rather than just general statements or broad agendas. However, more time is needed for these initiatives to be materialized and implemented in practice, thereby making practical contributions to regional security.
For the first time, the QUAD Joint Declaration publicly emphasizes the value of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which affirms the grouping’s commitment to promoting compliance with UNCLOS and maintaining the rules-based maritime order. The inclusion of the 2016 ruling in this Declaration shows that the QUAD no longer shy away from the issue, but instead expresses a stronger stance in promoting the rule of law, especially UNCLOS, in the context of escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
India is playing an increasingly active role in the QUAD on matters related to maritime security. As a key country in the Indian Ocean, India plays an integral role in the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States, Japan and Australia, connecting two key seas. In the past, India has often avoided publicly expressing its views on the South China Sea as well as limiting its participation in security cooperation to mainly economic, infrastructure and healthcare. However, the adoption of the Maritime Monitoring Programme at QUAD6 with the participation of India shows a positive change in the country.

Conclusion

The QUAD6 Summit in 2024 clearly demonstrates the tendency of deepening cooperation and coordination of joint programs of the QUAD on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. Since 2021, the QUAD Group has held six consecutive high-level meetings, thus showing persistence, unity and close coordination. The 2024 high-level meeting is of special significance, marking the end of the terms of two key leaders of the Group, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. More importantly, this meeting is considered to have the strongest statements on regional security and it includes many notable cooperation initiatives. Furthermore, the new initiative on maritime security surveillance comes amid tensions in the South and East China Seas. It demonstrates the QUAD's strong commitment to freedom, security, maritime and aviation safety in the Indo-Pacific. However, in the face of various challenges, the implementation of this new initiative must be closely monitored to evaluate its effectiveness.

Major takeaways on maritime security during the QUAD Summits (2021-2024)

Date (QUAD Summit Statements)	Key takeaways	Comparison to previous year(s)
3/2021	- Reaffirming its commitment to fostering a rules-based international order, freedom, and openness, along with supporting the principles of freedom of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. - Endorsing ASEAN centrality, as well as its Indo-Pacific Outlook.. - Upholding the principles of UNCLOS, promoting maritime security cooperation, and maintaining a rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas.[11]	N/A
9/2021	- Promote a rules-based, free, and open order based on international law; support freedom of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. - Welcome the EU Strategy for Indo-Pacific Cooperation, reaffirming support for the centrality of ASEAN and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). - Initiatives: (i) Quad Vaccine Partnership and Quad Vaccine Expert Group; (ii) Quad Infrastructure a nd High-Quality Infrastructure Coordination Team; (iii) Quad Fellowship; (iv) Semiconductor Supply Chain; (v) 5G and Open-RAN networks; (vi) initiatives to address and respond to climate change. - Uphold compliance with international law and UNCLOS to maintain a rules-based maritime order in the South and East China Seas.[12]	- Similar to the first Summit; - The QUAD introduces numerous new initiatives on infrastructure and connectivity, with a strong emphasis on non-traditional security measures. This includes a dedicated initiative to provide vaccines to countries in the Indo-Pacific region to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
3/2022	- Affirm that any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force is unacceptable in the Indo-Pacific region. - Enhance efforts toward realizing a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific." [13]
5/2022	- Strongly support freedom of navigation and overflight, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the non-use or threat of force or any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific - Support ASEAN's centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), as well as the EU's Strategy for Indo-Pacific Cooperation. - Strongly oppose coercive or unilateral actions aimed at changing the status quo and escalating tensions, including the militarization of disputed entities, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militias, and the harassment of other countries' activities. - Uphold compliance with international law, particularly UNCLOS, in addressing challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the South and East China Seas. - Launch initiatives across various areas, including health, infrastructure, climate change, cybersecurity, and open radio connectivity (RAN) networks, with a special focus on the Indo-Pacific Partnership Initiative for Maritime Awareness (IPMDA) to respond to natural disasters and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. [14]	- For the first time, the Quad Summit Joint Statement explicitly condemns the threat or use of force to unilaterally change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region (implicitly referring to China's activities without directly naming China). - The 2022 Statement emphasizes the critical importance of adhering to international law, particularly UNCLOS. - QUAD launches the Maritime Awareness Initiative (PMDA).
5/2023	- Reaffirm QUAD’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific. - Consistently support ASEAN’s central role and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), along with cooperation with Pacific island countries and the Indian Ocean region. - Strongly oppose destabilizing actions aimed at altering the status quo through force or coercion; express deep concern about the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militias, and the active exploitation of resources by other countries. - Emphasize the importance of adhering to international law, particularly UNCLOS, in addressing maritime challenges, including in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. - Launch initiatives across diverse sectors, including health, infrastructure, climate change, and technology, such as establishing an Open RAN information network in Palau. [15]	- QUAD nations continue to voice opposition to actions intended to alter the status quo in the South China Sea, without directly mentioning China; continue to underscore the importance of adhering to international law and UNCLOS.
9/2024	- Reaffirm our commitment to a free and open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific. - Consistently support the central role of ASEAN and AOIP; committed to cooperation with Pacific island countries and the Indian Ocean region. - Deeply concerned about the situation in the South China Sea and East China; militarize disputed islands and reefs as well as coercive and threatening moves in the East and South China Seas, condemn the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia vessels and oppose interference and harassment of other countries' exploitation of marine resources. - Emphasizing the importance of compliance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, in addressing maritime challenges, including the South China Sea and the East China Sea; Reaffirming the universality and unity of UNCLOS, UNCLOS sets the legal framework for all activities at sea and ocean; Emphasizing that the 2016 Arbitral Award is an important milestone and a basis for the peaceful settlement of disputes between the parties. - Launch many new initiatives, including the "Quad Cancer Moonshot" initiative, humanitarian assistance due to natural disasters, the Quad Indo-Pacific logistics network, the Quad Partnership on submarine cable connectivity and recovery. Especially maritime security cooperation initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region, including the "Quad-at-Sea Ship Monitoring Mission" between the coast guards of the four countries to be conducted for the first time in 2025 and the "Indo-Pacific Maritime Training Initiative" (MAITRI). [16]	- For the first time, the Quad Summit Joint Statement expresses profound concern over the situation in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. - The Statement emphasizes the global universality of UNCLOS in establishing legal regulations for all seas and oceans, which countries must adhere to. - The Statement highlights the significance of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Court ruling as a basis for the peaceful settlement of disputes among the involved parties. - QUAD introduces several new maritime security initiatives. - India is mentioned more and the country participates in more initiatives.

Thai Giang - Minh Ha
South China Sea Insitute, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam
*The views expressed in this article are only of the authors
Translated and edited by NNDH

QUAD Summit 2024: A New Maritime Security Spearhead

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