The United States is preparing to host the next Quad Leaders' Summit in Manila on the sidelines of the Asean Summit, with India, Australia, Japan and the US expected to announce a series of initiatives covering economic security, critical technologies and strategic infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting, expected to take place on November 17, will be the first gathering of leaders from the four Quad countries since September 2024. It will also mark a departure from the grouping's established practice of holding leaders' summits exclusively in member countries, with the Philippines becoming the host location.
People familiar with the preparations said the proposed deliverables had been finalised during the Quad foreign ministers' meeting held on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on October 31.
Economic security is expected to dominate the discussions, alongside cooperation in critical technologies, maritime domain awareness and strategic infrastructure. The initiatives are aimed at strengthening supply chains and building resilient infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific.
More than $85 million pledged for trusted AI
The upcoming leaders' meeting will build on several initiatives announced by Quad foreign ministers in Atlanta. One of the key outcomes was a commitment to provide more than $85 million in technical and financial assistance to expand access to trusted artificial intelligence (AI) across the Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad AI Accelerator.
The ministers also reiterated their commitment to reliable and open global supply chains and expressed concerns over economic coercion, arbitrary export restrictions and non-market practices that create overcapacity and disrupt critical industries.
Other initiatives include a US commitment of $10 million towards facilities for recycling critical minerals in India and Asean countries, cooperation on identifying vulnerabilities in semiconductor supply chains and the establishment of the first Quad Business Leaders' Forum to promote commercial partnerships in strategic sectors.
The four countries have also agreed to strengthen cooperation against online and cyber scams, with a focus on criminal networks involved in trafficking people and forcing them to participate in fraudulent operations.
Maritime cooperation remains another priority, with the ministers reaffirming the importance of freedom of navigation and uninterrupted commercial movement through key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
US hosting summit amid China-Philippines tensions
The choice of Manila as the venue carries strategic significance amid escalating diplomatic tensions between China and the Philippines.
Beijing and Manila have exchanged sharp remarks since last month, after China's envoy reacted strongly to Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr describing China as a regional "troublemaker".
The Chinese envoy responded by saying that the Philippines should be grateful to have China as a neighbour, adding that "if we want to use force, we may easily win".
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos subsequently described the remarks as sounding "very much like a threat".
Against this backdrop, the US decision to host the Quad leaders in Manila is being viewed as significant, particularly given the grouping's emphasis on a free and open Indo-Pacific, maritime security and regional stability.
PM Modi's Manila visit and summit schedule
Although the exact timing of the leaders' meeting remains unclear, it is expected to take place later in the day on November 17, following the East Asia Summit, according to people familiar with the arrangements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive in Manila on the afternoon of November 16 and depart early on November 18.
India was originally scheduled to host the Quad Leaders' Summit in 2025. However, New Delhi's efforts to organise the meeting last year were held up by uncertainty surrounding US President Donald Trump's travel plans.
The upcoming gathering will therefore be the first leaders' summit since September 2024 and the first to be hosted by the US outside the territories of the four member countries.
The Quad, comprising India, Australia, Japan and the United States, has continued to expand cooperation in economic resilience, emerging technologies, maritime security and strategic infrastructure, with the Manila meeting expected to provide fresh momentum to these initiatives.