Quad continues its outreach to ASEAN, helps build its future

September 27, 2024

JAKARTA – At the farewell Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit hosted by United States President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, the Quad showed clear signs of consolidation. For Biden, it was a fitting tribute, because it was under his presidency that the Quad raised itself to a summit.

Now it has met for the sixth time, twice virtually. Quad foreign ministers have met eight times over the last five years, and Quad commerce and industry ministers and development finance institutions are scheduled to start regular meetings too.

The most prominent message from the Quad summit, thus is that the Quad is here to stay, to undertake collaborative ventures for the public good. Through such functional cooperation, it will maintain a free and open Indo Pacific (FOIP) and challenge all efforts to seek hegemony in the region.

Anchored by shared values, the Quad seeks to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. Respect for the leadership of regional institutions, including ASEAN is embedded in the preamble of the Wilmington Declaration.

The declaration clearly “reaffirms our consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity. We continue to support implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and are committed to ensuring the Quad’s work is aligned with ASEAN’s principles and priorities.”

“We underscore ASEAN’s regional leadership role, including in the East Asia Summit, the region’s premier leader-led forum for strategic dialogue, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. As comprehensive strategic partners of ASEAN, our four countries intend to continue to strengthen our respective relationships with ASEAN and seek opportunities for greater Quad collaboration in