The enduring legacy of The Beatles has left an indelible mark on the world of music and popular culture which can be felt more than 50 years after they broke up. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi drew an unexpected parallel between the Quad – a group composed of Japan, Australia, the US, and India – and the legendary English rock band during a press conference on Friday.
In his analogy, Hayashi, an avid music fan, described the Quad as a "soft Beatles," a band with fixed members who have been playing together for over a decade.
“This is kind of a band like The Beatles. The members are fixed and they always play together (for over) 10 years. But this is more kind of a soft group, so that even within The Beatles, Paul McCartney can release an album solo." Hayashi said.
However, he implied that unlike The Beatles, each member of the Quad is free to pursue their own interests and goals, releasing solo albums, as it were. The Quad, therefore, is a more flexible group than the iconic English rock band, and its members are not bound by the constraints of a singular collective identity.
India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also chimed in, adding his own twist to the analogy by comparing the Quad to the band and their former drummer Pete Best, who was eventually replaced by Ringo Starr.
He noted that the Quad does collectively offer something different and that there is growing interest and enthusiasm from countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands who are looking at the Indo-Pacific as a changing theater and seeking to advance their own interests.
However, Jaishankar acknowledged that, like the Beatles who kept Pete Best out, the Quad is the Quad, and its limitations must be recognised.
Also read: G20 Foreign Ministers Meet | Global debt resolution in emerging markets underway, says OECD Sherpa
First Published: Mar 3, 2023 8:08 PM IST
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