Quad launches new agenda, raises concern on China's control over critical minerals supply chains

The Print

7 days ago

'We discussed the opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific and how to further harness the strengths and resources of the Quad to advance peace, security, and prosperity, working with our regional partners,' it stated.
The announcement of the agenda was part of the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, India and the US, following their meeting in Washington.
New Delhi: Foreign ministers of the Quad Tuesday unveiled a new 'ambitious' agenda based on four 'key areas'–maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.
'Through this renewed focus, we will sharpen the Quad's ability to leverage our resources to address the region's most pressing challenges,' it added.
Apart from the new agenda, the ministers also launched three new initiatives: the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, conduct of the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise, and Quad Ports of the Future Partnership.
'In the face of these challenges, we are proud to announce today key initiatives that the Quad is advancing to strengthen maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and support (for) humanitarian assistance and emergency response across the Indo-Pacific,' the joint statement said.
The critical minerals initiative aims to 'strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains'. The logistics network field exercise will focus on strengthening the 'shared airlift capacity' among the four countries, to aid in the collective response to natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad Ports of the Future Partnership is set to be launched in Mumbai later this year.
Tuesday was the first meeting of the Quad foreign ministers since the Pahalgam attack in April and Operation Sindoor, and the second this year, following one in January.
'We will continue to counter foreign efforts to push false narratives and interfere with Quad interests in the Indo-Pacific. As the Quad continues to evolve, our four democracies remain committed to deepening our cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and ensuring our cooperation has an enduring impact on the region's top challenges and opportunities in the 21st century,' said the statement.
The ministers also agreed to the next Quad Leaders' Summit to be hosted by India this year, while the foreign ministers' meeting will be hosted by Australia in 2026.
Also Read: Quad foreign ministers condemn Pahalgam attack, call for perpetrators to be brought to justice
'Need reliable supply chains'
The foreign ministers highlighted their concern over the 'abrupt constriction' of 'key supply chains' in a message to China.
Beijing was not named in their joint statement, but in recent months China has restricted the supply of rare earth magnets to the US, while also restricting the supply of certain rare earth elements to India.
Amid the trade war between the two largest global economies, curbs instituted by Beijing have also impacted supply chains of critical minerals to India. These restrictions have hit a number of sectors, including automobile production, electric vehicles and wind turbines.
'We are deeply concerned about the abrupt constriction and future reliability of key supply chains, specifically for critical minerals. This includes the use of non-market policies and practices for critical minerals, certain derivative products, and mineral processing technology,' the joint statement read.
'We underscore the importance of diversified and reliable global supply chains. Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation, and supply chain disruptions, which further harms our economic and national security,' it added.
The foreign ministers further aired concerns over the situation in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the ongoing civil war in Myanmar. They also 'condemned' North Korea's ballistic missile programme as well as its 'continued pursuit of nuclear weapons'.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is in the US for a three-day visit from 30 June till 2 July.
Apart from attending the foreign ministers' meeting, he held bilateral talks with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, met with US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and held bilateral talks with his Quad counterparts.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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