The QUAD was originally conceptualized in 2007 by then Japanese PM Shinzo Abe as an existential 'Arc of Democracies' for political signaling against the growing China Threat in Indo Pacific.
Within a year or two QUAD as a political construct to checkmate China lost steam primarily due to United States 'China Hedging' Policies and then Indian Government's similar inclinations of being timid on China.
QUAD was effectively resurrected in 2017 with advent of US Republican President Trump in White House who initiated effective 'Hard Line' China-policy. Similarly, the advent of PM Narendra Modi in India as Prime Minister provided some more impetus to make QUAD a meaningful construct.
President Biden who succeeded President Trump had kept up prioritizing QUAD till lately with diplomatic meets at Foreign Ministers level and annual QUAD Summits.
QUAD however in its roles has continued so far without the necessary military trappings which could checkmate China. China consequently has stood emboldened to merrily continue with its 'Disruptive Strategies' impacting Indo Pacific security and stability.
In an overall analysis, what starkly emerges in 2024 is that while the China Threat to IndoPacific security has "intensified" QUAD as an existential checkmate to China's expanding aggressiveness has reduced itself to more of a "Humanitarian Disaster Relief Organization".
QUAD Summits have repeatedly called for a "Free and Open Indo Pacific". Free and Open IndoPacific cannot be achieved without being "EXPLICIT" as to which Nation is threatening IndoPacific security and stability.
Both leading Powers of QUAD, namely, the United States and India have shied away from naming China Threat impacting IndoPacific security.
Observing United States and India's diffidence in explicitly designating the China Threat and China's efforts to drive wedges in QUAD's cohesion has emboldened China in conducting more aggressive military forays on its peripheries extending from India to Western Pacific and South Pacific.
China Threat cannot be checkmated by diplomatic dialogues or meaningless assertions that QUAD is not aimed at any nation.
China can be checkmated only by first a clear and unambiguous statement of 'Intent' by QUAD that this coalition is a 'strategic organization' to checkmate China's predatory prowling in Indo Pacific.
Statement of Intent by QUAD should as a follow-up have discussions on creating integrated security mechanisms to checkmate China's maritime aggression in the South China Sea expanse.
Concurrently, QUAD Nations should plan to expand the military capacity and capability of Western Pacific Nations presently under China's political and military coercion, namely, Taiwan and the Philippines
Military inter-operability amongst QUAD Nations must be a top priority spanning full-spectrum military domains enabling an effective combined military response in any crisis generated or provoke by China.
Concluding, it needs to be highlighted, that QUAD even in its present nebulous loose state of neither being a well-knit geopolitical coalition or a 'security coalition' continues to rattle China which is concerned that QUAD is targeting China.
China when faced with a security-centric contours predominant QUAD with a clear statement of intent can be hoped t0 emerge as a 'powerful deterrent' against China's predatory aggression in IndoPacific. China would then be faced with prospects that any Chinese aggression in Indo Pacific would incur heavy costs to China by QUAD's integrated robust responses.
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