At the meeting on May 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, a strategic push to curb global reliance on Beijing for rare earth elements. Member states are pooling up to US$20 billion for the mechanism.On the security front, the bloc, which was formed nearly two decades ago to counter China’s rising prominence in the Indo-Pacific, unveiled a maritime surveillance collaboration initiative to integrate the member states’ regional information sharing.In addition, an energy security initiative was introduced to bolster regional fuel networks, alongside a pilot port infrastructure project in Fiji.Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong (left), Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio share a light moment as they pose before a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting in New Delhi, India, on May 26. Photo: AP