The quad's public goods approach: countering the BRI

The Quad returned to life in 2017 amid its members’ rising concerns about China’s growing power and influence in the region. Instead of a strategic dialogue that only names and shames China, the Quad expanded its scope in 2021 to become a provider of global public goods such as vaccines, cybersecurity, critical and emerging technologies (CET), and norms on the sustainable use of outer space. These goods, which China has been providing via the BRI, are increasingly salient to the domestic and economic needs of regional countries. By offering alternative sources of these goods, the Quad is taking a soft approach to offset China’s influence in the region.Published versio