The “Quad” is more than a decade old, but it was only really boosted by cooperation on relief efforts after the terrible 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It concerns a link between four large powerful states in the Pacific and Indian Ocean area.
This region – called Indo-Pacific – is growing into an increasingly important player in world politics and economy, in addition to the transatlantic link between Europe and North America. The US has had a strong presence in that region since the 19th century, partly through the attachment of island groups such as Hawaii, Guam and the Marshall Islands and the conquest of the Philippines from Spain in 1898.
With the development and emergence of first Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore and then China, but now also India and the countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, that region is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, tensions are growing between the major players.
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