The United States announced the launch of a critical minerals initiative with Australia, India and Japan on Tuesday as part of efforts to counter China, although ties between the partners have been strained by trade frictions and other disagreements.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened his counterparts from India, Japan, and Australia on Tuesday for a high-stakes meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad, aiming to reaffirm the group's commitment to countering China’s influence in the region.

The four countries, known as the Quad, share concerns about China's growing power and dominance of critical minerals, but relations have been tested by U.S. President Donald Trump's global tariff offensive which has spared none of the members.

In a joint statement after talks in Washington, the countries' foreign ministers said they were launching the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, which they called an "ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains."

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on X the meeting had been "very productive."

In welcoming his counterparts, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Quad countries important strategic partners and said it was time to "deliver action" on specific issues.

“The Quad is a strategic partnership, and we need to deliver tangible outcomes,” he said.

A meeting involving 30–40 companies from the four countries was also held at the U.S. State Department to explore collaboration on critical mineral diversification, a market currently dominated by China.

Trade Tensions Simmer Beneath Surface

The gathering comes as India and the U.S. work to finalize a deal to lower tariffs on American goods and avert steep levies set to take effect next week. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed optimism, and Jaishankar acknowledged a “give and take” would be required to bridge the gaps.

Meanwhile, Japan postponed a key ministerial meeting with the U.S. amid dissatisfaction with Washington's pressure to further increase its defence spending—despite a highly publicized February summit where President Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba declared a “golden age” of bilateral ties.

Nicholas Szechenyi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that U.S.-Japan relations had lost momentum and warned that the administration’s focus on tariffs and defence costs had frustrated Tokyo.

Broader Strategic Alignment Under Stress

Australia, another vital Quad member, has its own set of concerns, especially around Washington’s review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement. Former ambassador Arthur Sinodinos said Australians would be watching closely for signs of U.S. clarity on both defence and trade issues.

Despite these challenges, Rubio held separate bilateral meetings with each foreign minister, and Jaishankar also met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at The Pentagon. The two discussed advancing U.S.-India defence sales and co-production initiatives.

Diplomacy Over Discord?

The Quad leaders attempted to present a united front, but longstanding issues remain unresolved. India pushed back against Trump’s claim that U.S. threats ended the recent flare-up with Pakistan, reiterating that trade was not a factor in the Kashmir ceasefire. Still, Jaishankar said what mattered was “the ability to deal with [differences] and to keep that trend going in the positive direction.”

As the Indo-Pacific Quad looks toward a leaders’ summit later this year in India, the ability of these four democracies to manage internal tensions while maintaining a coordinated regional strategy will be tested.

Copied