Washington: In a landmark move, the US House of Representatives has cast a decisive vote, ushering in a new era of international diplomacy and strategic alliance.
The bill passed focuses on bolstering the Quad alliance—comprising the United States, India, Australia, and Japan—to counter the ascending influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Quad is a plurilateral framework comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the US, with a shared commitment to upholding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s aggressive behaviour in the strategically vital South China Sea.
Passed by a roll call vote of 379 to 39 votes, the ‘Strengthen US-Australia-India-Japan Cooperation’ or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) bill says that the cooperation between the US, Australia, India and Japan should be strengthened.
It directs the State Department to submit to Congress, within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, a strategy to increase engagement and cooperation with the Quad, and within 60 days of its enactment, to enter into negotiations with Japan, Australia, and India to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation.
It also would establish a US group, which would have a maximum of 24 members of Congress, to represent the US in the working group.
It also would establish guidelines for annual meetings and group leadership. Under the bill, the group would be required to submit an annual report to the congressional foreign affairs committees.
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