Quad leaders plan end‑year summit and new maritime initiatives

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Congressional hearing that the Quad—comprising the United States, Japan, Australia and India—will hold a leaders’ summit before the end of the year. The meeting is expected to take place alongside other Indo‑Pacific forums and will focus on moving the partnership from diplomatic dialogue to concrete actions.

Rubio said the four countries are working on a maritime domain‑awareness program to monitor sea activity, protect shipping routes and safeguard undersea communications. They are also discussing infrastructure projects, including a new port facility for a small Pacific island, with talks underway with Fiji. The Quad’s agenda emphasizes regional resilience, secure supply chains for critical minerals and energy, and counter‑balancing China’s growing influence in the region.