QUADRILATERAL SECURITY DIALOGUE IN BALANCING CHINA'S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE

Abstract

This study is conducted to observe and find the knowledge and understanding of and a presupposition on the outcome of tensions between QSD and China relations. Whether QSD affects any decision-making by China or President Xi Jin Ping in their national interest, particularly the current ongoing project Belt Road Initiative (BRI). The necessity for the research arose due to the re-emergence of QSD in 2017 and QSD’s view toward China and the Indo-Pacific and how it shall impact China’s national interest and the political balance in the Indo-Pacific. The significance also analyses the conduct or any activities and movements made by QSD and how it impacts any member relations with China. This research will address any issue raised by QSD that can hinder the BRI project, China’s current national interest. The Research Method used in this research is the qualitative method. The limitation of this study is that the time frame for this study will be from the QSD's resurgence, which began in 2015, when

the forum started to emphasize China more and positioned itself as the protector of the Indo- Pacific region, through the start of numerous joint military drills by The United States and

multiple QSD members, and into the year 2022 when the study is conducted. As a conclusion for the study, it is found that QSD is focusing on many issues other than China and that While the members of QSD are offering an alternative project that is deemed safer by QSD, the number of the investment money is far from what the BRI project is offering. Such nd that QSD did not give any effect towards the BRI proven by the number of the country joining BRI is not diminishing.