QUAD or ASEAN-NATO: Is the U.S. Targeting China Through India’s Strategic Role in the Indo-Pacific?

New Delhi: The beginning of 2026 marks a renewed focus on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), as the United States seeks to strengthen India’s role in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence. Experts see this as part of Washington’s strategy to maintain a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. Push for a Stronger QUAD

During the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Summit, India’s engagement with Russia and China reportedly made the U.S. uneasy, revealing a temporary weakening of the QUAD partnership, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. In response, the U.S. is actively engaging India again, as evidenced by recent visits of U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gorr and Indo-Pacific Command Commander Samuel J. Paparo to India’s Western Command headquarters in Chandigarh, a strategically sensitive location just 250 km from the Pakistan border.

The discussions between U.S. officials and Western Command Chief Lt. Gen. Manoj Kumar Katriar focused on regional security challenges, joint operations, and post-Operation Sindhur preparedness. Washington emphasized that the joint efforts aim to ensure a secure Indo-Pacific.

India’s Role in the Indo-Pacific

India’s geographical position in the Indian Ocean and its strategic autonomy make it a crucial player in the QUAD. A strong India-U.S. partnership directly strengthens QUAD’s political weight. Conversely, any strain in India-U.S. relations limits the QUAD’s effectiveness.

In 2025, trade tensions, including a 50% U.S. tariff on Indian goods, had tested bilateral relations. These were later eased to 18%, reviving stalled trade deals and fostering renewed cooperation in defense, technology, and strategic initiatives.

Strategic and Economic Importance

U.S. officials, including Assistant Secretary S. Paul Kapoor, have emphasized that improving trade ties strengthens defense and regional collaboration. QUAD cooperation now focuses on maritime security, critical technology, healthcare, infrastructure, and climate initiatives.

The 10-year defense framework agreed upon in 2025 highlights cooperation in jet engines, advanced systems, and joint operations, reinforcing India’s strategic role.

Why QUAD Matters

• Mitigates China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
• Supports a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• Ensures regional stability and security.
• Strengthens ASEAN countries’ participation and priorities.
• Upholds UN maritime laws and promotes peaceful dispute resolution in areas like the South China Sea.
• Enhances economic cooperation in the region.
• Provides an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• Secures supply chains for critical technologies, components, and minerals.

India’s Strategic Gains

• Expands India’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
• Amplifies India’s voice for the Global South.
• Strengthens India’s Act East policy.
• Provides strategic leverage to counter China.
• Supports access to advanced technologies, including semiconductors and rare earth minerals.

Challenges Ahead

Despite its significance, the QUAD faces challenges:

• Often perceived as an anti-China coalition, criticized by China as an ASEAN-NATO model.
• Different strategic interests among QUAD members.
• No formal secretariat or framework yet exists.
• India, Japan, and Australia still have significant economic dependencies on China.
• In 2020’s Galwan Valley conflict, QUAD countries offered only verbal support to India.

Experts argue that sustaining a strong QUAD requires consistent India-U.S. cooperation, robust trade ties, and coordinated engagement with other regional partners to ensure a stable and balanced Indo-Pacific.