We missed this earlier: Australia will spend around 500,000 AUD to set up a tech network among the Quad countries — Australia, India, United States and Japan — in light of worsening ties with China. The government had in November issued a one-off grant for the establishment of a "Quad Tech Network (QTN), with the purpose of supporting research and promoting engagement with stakeholders such as academia and think-tanks on cybersecurity and critical technology issues. This was first reported on by The Guardian. The establishment of the "Tech Network" comes at a time of increased cooperation between Quad countries in the field of telecommunications. The four countries are working closely on developing 5G and next generation technologies, in direct opposition to China's Huawei and ZTE. Both Australia and the US have banned the two companies from their own 5G networks for being "high-risk" vendors. The US is, in fact, helping developing countries across the world to reduce their reliance on Chinese telecom equipment. India and Japan, meanwhile, are set to sign an MoU for developing 5G. Japanese companies will reportedly be supporting their Indian counterparts on 5G wireless networks, submarine fiber-optic cables and other technologies. The QTN has the clear aim to include academic institutions and think-tanks in all four countries in the discussion. It will be managed by the Australian National University on behalf of the country's foreign affairs and trade department. Its analogous partners will include India's Observer Research Foundation (ORF), US's Centre for a New American Security…
