Description: US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, hosted his counterparts in Washington from Australia, India and Japan while announcing the launch of the Quad Rare Earth Minerals Initiative. According to official statement from the White House, the initiative would develop a comprehensive partnership between the four countries in expanding and diversifying the rare earth minerals supply chains and reinforce cooperation between the allies in the sector. The statement did not mention China directly as the largest manufacturer and developer of rare earth minerals in the world, however, the initiative is most certainly established in order to counter Chinese dominance in the sector. After the reception and the announcement of the initiative, Rubio held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts where he reportedly discussed recent bilateral friction between the US and the other countries pertaining to the Quad alliance.
Impact: The Quad Rare Earth Minerals Initiative (QREMI) arrives at a sensitive time of strained bilateral relations between the US and its allies which is additionally aggravated by the trade talks and tariff tensions. Japan has so far resisted US pressure while negotiating trade and tariffs, however, unresolved discrepancies remain open as to the country’s defense spending, which has been labeled problematic by the US. The recently opened review on the AUKUS partnership severely deteriorated bilateral relations between the US and Australia, as the partnership has been reported as a key regional alliance to counter Chinese influence, presence and impede its naval dominance in the Indo – Pacific. India has considerably degraded the US soft – power and diplomatic influence, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating the US had no impact on his country’s ceasefire agreement with Pakistan. India has also devised close partnerships with Russia and China, which has been a long-lasting concern for the US. The QREMI is expected to ease tensions between the US and its allies, with limited impact on separate trade negotiations and other strategic engagements.