What is the 4-nation Quad? Where did it come from? EXPLAINER
India TV NewsHighlights US, Japan, Australia and India together form the Quad group The Quad began as a loose partnership after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami Quad was resurrected in 2017 reflecting changing attitudes in the region toward China Leaders of the US, Japan, Australia and India gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday for a summit of the “Quad.” What is the group, where did it come from and why do diplomats keep coming up with strange names for various partnerships? Formally the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Quad began as a loose partnership after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when the four countries joined together to provide humanitarian and disaster assistance to the affected region. Tuesday's meeting marks the first in-person gathering of the group for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office last October, as well as for Australia's new prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Once they start up different pairings or partnerships, they can't resist assigning shorthand names like the Quad or baffling acronyms like AUKUS Another acronym that got attention this week while President Joe Biden was in Asia: IPEF, short for the US-proposed new trade pact called the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.