A working group on space, a joint mechanism on semiconductors and a fellowship for master’s and doctoral studies in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields are among some initiatives that the Quad leader are expected to announce when they meet on Friday (Sept 24) for their first in-person summit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will join their host President Joe Biden at the White House for the in-person summit which starts later in the day and is expected to last two hours.

The four leaders will also receive and review updates on initiatives they had launched at their virtual summit in March, which included a commitment to make 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines for distribution in the Indo-Pacific region by 2022, and working groups on climate, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.

Previewing the meeting for reporters, senior Biden administration officials made clear once again the informal nature of the group. “The Quad is an unofficial gathering, although we have a number of working groups and we are deepening cooperation on a very daily basis,” one of the officials said, adding, “It is also the case that it is not a regional security organisation.”

The official also drew a distinction between the Quad and the recently launched trilateral alliance of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States called AUKUS. They are two “completely separate initiatives” that have nothing to do with one another, even though there are overlaps.

“The Quad is a discussion and engagement effort around a number of practical matters, like – we’ve discussed Covid and issues associated with climate change,” the official said, adding, “There is not a military dimension to it or security dimension to it. And it is an informal grouping.”

There has been an outpouring of commentary from experts who have argued that the Quad’s security and defence related role stands diminished by the AUKUS.

But others, including Indian officials, believe the Quad was never intended as a military alliance even though there had been some talk of it during former president Donald Trump’s term – of formalising the group with the reference point being Nato, a purely military alliance of 30 countries.

The Quad will remain focused on non-security related challenges in the Indo-Pacific, with the new initiatives previewed by the US officials.

They will announce the launch of working groups on space, the officials said but did not share any details.

They were far more forthcoming about the fellowships. Sponsored by private donors, 25 students from each of the four countries will be selected to pursue master’s and post-doctoral degrees in STEM fields at leading US universities every year.

The four countries will also announce a supply chain initiative on semiconductors. It will be a detailed joint initiative to map overall capacity; identify respective vulnerabilities; and to take critical steps to bolster supply chain security, particularly for semiconductors and all their vital components, one of the officials said.

They will also launch a 5G deployment and diversification effort. “And this is to support the critical role of Quad governments in fostering and promoting a diverse, resilient, secure telecommunications ecosystem,” it was said.

Other announcements will an effort on Open RAN (interoperability on wireless networks) development and adoption, which will be a part of the 5G plan. And the other will be on sharing information on illegal fishing and issues associated with maritime domain awareness.