In 2017, four countries came together with a clear, if unspoken, goal: to counter China. Australia, India, Japan, and the United States had all experienced economic and even military aggression from Beijing. That threat gave birth to the Quad. The grouping of four Indo-Pacific democracies was envisioned as a way to push back against China’s attempts to create its own “sphere of influence” in the region.
India is supposed to host this year’s Quad Leaders Summit. Expectations were that the prime ministers of Australia and Japan, as well as the U.S. president, would gather in India this September. Now it looks like the month will end without any such summit.
What happened? In short: Donald Trump.
Amid trade frictions between the U.S. and India, the U.S. president has reportedly cancelled plans to visit New Delhi this fall. That’s casting doubt on the prospect of a Leaders Summit – and the future of the Quad itself.
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