Pledging to provide “tangible benefits” for nations in the Indo-Pacific region, the leaders of the Quad have launched a maritime surveillance plan that analysts say is their most significant move to date to counter China.
The Quad – an informal alliance made up of Japan, the United States, India and Australia – said on Tuesday that the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) will help the Pacific Islands and countries in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean track illegal fishing and other illicit activities in their waters in real-time. And although the Quad did not mention China by name, analysts say the initiative is aimed at addressing long-held complaints from countries in the region about unauthorised fishing by Chinese boats in their exclusive economic zones as well as encroachment by Chinese maritime militia vessels in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.