Message to China? The first-ever formal summit of Quad on Friday
The first formal summit of the heads of state of the four-member group of nations known as the `Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ (Quad) (India, the US, Japan & Australia) is a significant development. This meeting is being held at the initiative of the US President Joe Biden. Confirming the formal summit which is scheduled for March 12, 2021, the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday evening issued an official statement. According to the statement: “The first Leaders Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework will be held virtually on March 12, 2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, the US President Joe Biden, and Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga, will be participating.”
It will be on a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, maritime security, resilient supply chains, critical technologies as well as climate change. Prior to this, the diplomatic engagement of Quad members has been limited to semi-regular meetings and information exchanges. President Biden has made this one of his earliest multilateral engagements speaks to the importance White House place on close cooperation with our allies and partners within the Indo-Pacific.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at his annual press conference in Beijing on Sunday has according to reports said, that Beijing and New Delhi should stop “undercutting” each other and shed mutual “suspicion”. And to create “enabling conditions” by expanding bilateral cooperation to resolve the border issue. Beijing views the Quad with suspicion as the members of the Quad have been opposing the Chinese attempts at altering the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region by coercion.
Source: Financial Express https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/message-to-china-first-ever-formal-summit-of-quad-on-friday/2210243/
