Article Details
  • Published Online:
    April  2025
  • Product Name:
    The IUP Journal of International Relations
  • Product Type:
    Article
  • Product Code:
    IJIR040425
  • DOI:
    10.71329/IUPJIR/2025.19.2.64-78
  • Author Name:
    Sudheer Singh Verma, Pawanpreet Kaur and Shiv Kumar
  • Availability:
    YES
  • Subject/Domain:
    Arts and Humanities
  • Download Format:
    PDF
  • Pages:
    64-78
Volume 19, Issue 2, J2025
Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision of the Quad: Contradictions and Opportunities
Abstract

This paper examines the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision championed by the Quad countries—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (US)—and elucidates the inherent contradictions that lie in their respective FOIP vision. Through qualitative content analysis of official documents, statements, speeches and scholarly literature, the study reveals significant contradictions in their FOIP vision: Japan’s economic ties with China versus its strategic vision; India’s disproportionate focus on the Indian Ocean; Australia’s economic dependence on China contrasted with its US alliance; and the US’s inclusive rhetoric versus its China-centric actions. These contradictions stem from the challenge of balancing economic interests, security priorities, and normative commitments in an increasingly competitive landscape. The study proposes solutions to minimize the contradictions, and concludes that addressing these contradictions is crucial for successfully implementing the FOIP vision and realizing a stable, prosperous, and rules-based order that benefits all stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region.

Introduction

The term “Indo-Pacific” (IP) is an increasingly prevalent geopolitical construct that alludes to the burgeoning strategic and economic interdependence of the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. It is primarily a security-oriented construct focused on