On September 6, at the Sheraton Hotel in Cerritos, the World Affairs Council of Orange County, Southern California-based consultant Gunjan Bagla, along with a distinguished panel discussed the role of India in the Quad grouping.
The panelists, Dr. Srikar Reddy, Indian Consul General at San Francisco, Jane Duke, Australia’s CG, Kenko Sone Japan’s CG , and Camille P Dawson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Pacific and East Asian Affairs, deliberated on security, economic and diplomatic issues, ably moderated by Bagla.
Consul General Kenko Sone explained that shortly after the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had announced support for a free and open Indo-Pacific with collaboration among the four free-market democracies, of Australia, India, Japan, U.S. (the Quad). “Summit meetings followed, with much collaboration among the four countries. Not just at the vision level but at the ground level,” consul Sone said.
Jane Duke of Australia explained that at the recent summit, the pillars emphasized were economic partnership, rule of law, institutions, and transparency and that there had been a shared interest in the health and infrastructure sectors.
Secretary Dawson noted that no one country could do this alone and that all four countries would benefit from a regional approach. She said that the U.S. wants to build a “lattice of partnerships” through established multi-lateral organizations, but also via mini-laterals such as the Quad.
Consul General Srikar Reddy said India’s interests in the grouping centered around economic issues such as a growth opportunity for mitigating climate change, cooperation between shipping ports – including Los Angeles and Mumbai – EV batteries, semiconductors, maritime piracy prevention, and marine resources collaboration.
The event at Sheraton had promised to bring out the relevance of the Quad to the residents of Southern California. With Japan being the largest foreign investor in the region, consul Sone cited recent examples of collaboration between the ports of Nagoya and Los Angeles, developing the hydrogen supply chain for a green economy, and Japan’s role in the semiconductor supply chain.
Dawson pointed to the large diasporas of the quad countries in the region, the presence of foreign students from India and other countries, and the massive trade between the region and quad countries.
Among the attendees at the event were Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero of the Port of Los Angeles, Christine Peterson from LA Mayor Karen Bass’ office, and several leaders of the American Jewish Committee. World Affairs Council Chair Bill Edwards and President Richard Downie attended as did the Executive Director of the Asia Society of Southern California, Anjali Sharan.
