New CNAS Report on Next Phase of Quad Cooperation in Indo-Pacific

Washington, June 18, 2025 — Today, the Center for a New American Security released a new report, Quad: The Next Phase, by Lisa Curtis, Kareen Hart, Ryan Claffey, Keerthi Martyn, and Thomas Corel.

The report assesses the evolution of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, and offers recommendations for how the group can expand and sharpen its cooperation as great power competition intensifies.

The report finds that the Quad, comprising the United States, Australia, India, and Japan, has become a central platform for economic and technological coordination in the Indo-Pacific. With a renewed focus from the second Trump administration, the Quad is poised to deepen collaboration on strategic initiatives that promote a free, open, and prosperous regional order. At the same time, the administration has indicated interest in consolidating the Quad’s existing structure, narrowing its many working groups to a more focused set of high-impact priorities.

While the Quad has made meaningful progress since its revival in 2017, the report argues that more can be done to build out the group’s capabilities and credibility. It offers several policy recommendations for how the Quad can advance regional resilience, enhance maritime security, and better coordinate on economic and technological issues of shared concern.

Among its key findings, the report recommends that Quad members:

• Expand the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative via use of regional information fusion centers, particularly in the western Indian Ocean;
• Grow the Quad-at-Sea ship observer mission to include participation from Southeast Asian nations (this would allow the Quad to engage with regional partners on maritime security without requiring them to formally align with the group);
• Pool resources and coordinate investments in regional subsea cable infrastructure, including repair and maintenance capabilities, to reduce dependence on Chinese-operated vessels;
• Develop a mechanism through which a Quad maritime working group can collaborate with Southeast Asian countries to address gaps in enforcement related to subsea cable sabotage;
• Strengthen public-private sector cooperation on critical minerals through the Quad Investors Network;
• Develop a Quad-led supply chain crisis response network, building on the framework established in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework;
• Elevate overall engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; and
• Expand dialogue with other subregional organizations.

The authors argue that delivering meaningful, visible outcomes will be critical to strengthening the Quad’s legitimacy and long-term impact in the region. As the United States and its allies look to counter coercive behavior and promote a more inclusive Indo-Pacific order, the next phase of Quad coordination will require clear priorities, pragmatic investments, and sustained regional partnerships.

The full report is available to read here.

For more information or to arrange an interview with the report authors, please contact Alexa Whaley at [email protected].