Abstract:
The recent development of the Indo- Pacific region is characterized by the changing balance of power and the emergence of new forms of security cooperation. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) between Japan, the United States, Australia, and India came back into existence in 2017 after their failed attempt in 2007-2008. This paper attempts to investigate what factors explain the re-emergence of the QUAD by synthesizing several alignment/alliance theories in International Relations (IR). Given the previous research on the QUAD and theoretical discussions, this paper points out the tow key factors that contributed to the re-emergence of the QUAD: the shared threat perception toward china and the shared objectives in the Indo- Pacific region. The content analysis of a number of official policy documents and press statements revealed that Japan, United States, Australia and India have increasingly perceived china as a threat and coordinated their policy objectives in the Indo-Pacific region under the concept of the Free and Open-Indo- Pacific.
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