A meeting today of foreign ministers from the Quad group showcases how much the anti-China bloc has weakened, experts said.
Australia, India, Japan, and the US banded together nearly 20 years ago, holding annual summits that were widely — albeit not explicitly — framed as combating a rising China.
But Washington’s tariffs against the bloc’s other members, as well as its war against Iran and efforts to improve ties with Beijing, “have posed questions over the viability of the grouping,” The Hindu’s diplomatic editor wrote. The latest talks, hosted by India, mark the second successive year the group’s leaders will not meet: “The Quad will muddle along but will likely remain in a marginal role,” an analyst wrote in Foreign Policy.