Asia-Pacific Quad summit allows Biden to look to legacy

JOE Biden hosted the final “Quad” foreign policy meeting of his presidency with Asia-Pacific partners India, Japan and Australia in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday (Sep 21). As he enters the last four months of office, his mind is increasingly turning to consolidating his – contested – legacy after more than half a century in Washington politics.  

On Saturday, Biden proclaimed that part of his international accomplishment is the deepening of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. He signalled that the group would outlast the current leadership of himself, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida – who was making his last foreign trip in his role – and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who faces a potentially very tough re-election battle next year.  

Biden’s turn to legacy is, partly, a recognition that his presidency is nearly up.