NEW DELHI: The United States, India, Japan and Australia have stepped up efforts to reduce strategic dependence on vulnerable global supply chains, counter economic coercion and strengthen maritime security across the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the grouping's intent to address China's growing economic and strategic influence in the region.
Meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, the foreign ministers of the four countries reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, placing economic security, critical minerals, advanced technologies and maritime cooperation at the centre of their expanding agenda. However, the joint statement did not specify a timeline for the leaders' summit.
Although China was not explicitly named in the joint statement, its language reflected longstanding concerns among Quad members over Beijing's dominance in critical supply chains, industrial overcapacity, export restrictions and increasingly assertive regional posture.
The ministers expressed "grave concerns" over economic coercion, including arbitrary export restrictions and "non-market policies and practices that result in overcapacity to disrupt global supply chains in critical industries", a joint statement issued after the meeting said.
The emphasis on diversifying supply chains and reducing dependence on individual suppliers carries particular significance for China, which occupies a dominant position in several critical mineral processing and manufacturing sectors.
Critical minerals emerged as a key area of cooperation. Building on the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative announced in May, the four countries agreed to strengthen recycling and recovery networks to reduce reliance on any single supplier. The United States committed $10 million towards infrastructure and facilities in India and ASEAN countries to recover critical minerals from electronic waste and scrap.
The initiative signals an effort to develop alternative sources of strategic materials at a time when access to minerals essential for semiconductors, batteries, electric vehicles and defence technologies has become an increasingly important geopolitical concern.
Technology cooperation is another pillar of the emerging strategy. The ministers announced plans to provide more than $85 million in technical and financial assistance to expand access to trusted Super Intelligence (SI) across the Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad SI Accelerator and initiatives such as Pax Silica.
They also agreed to identify vulnerabilities in semiconductor and advanced technology supply chains before disruptions occur, while advancing cooperation on trusted 5G, 6G and Open Radio Access Networks.
The focus on trusted digital infrastructure and semiconductor security reflects growing competition between China and the United States over technological standards, manufacturing capabilities and control of critical digital infrastructure.
Maritime security featured prominently in the discussions, with the ministers reiterating the importance of uninterrupted commerce and freedom of navigation through strategically important waterways.
They stressed the "absolute necessity to protect and preserve navigational rights and freedoms" in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in accordance with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
While these routes are not exclusively linked to China's regional activities, the emphasis on freedom of navigation reinforces the Quad's broader opposition to attempts to restrict access to international waters or impose unilateral conditions on maritime commerce.
The four countries also highlighted progress in operational maritime cooperation. The second Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, involving representatives from all four members aboard an Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel, sailed from Chennai to Perth between September 25 and October 7.
The Quad will also hold its first exercise under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration initiative at Sea Dragon 2027, strengthening information-sharing and maritime domain awareness.
The ministers announced plans to hold the first Quad Business Leaders' Forum to encourage commercial partnerships and investment in strategic sectors. They also reviewed cooperation on energy security, port infrastructure in Fiji and infrastructure development across the Pacific, Southeast Asia and South Asia.
The agenda also covered transnational cybercrime, with the ministers condemning online scam networks and human trafficking operations that they said were stealing tens of billions of dollars annually from citizens across their countries.
On regional disaster response, they acknowledged India's leading role in the rescue operation following Nepal's August 26 flash floods, alongside assistance from other Quad members.
The Atlanta meeting underscores how the Quad is increasingly moving beyond its original emphasis on maritime security towards a broader strategic framework encompassing economic resilience, technology, infrastructure and regional security.