'Is Purpose Of Quad Is To Come Around China?' US NSA Answers

Washington: United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said that the purpose of the QUAD is not to come together around any other country but it's to come together around how to construct a free and open Indo-Pacific and actions. The NSA responded when asked is the purpose of the Quad is to counter China.

"The leaders are going to talk about all of the significant developments and dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. But my point is that the purpose of the QUAD is not to come together around China or any other country. It's to come together around how to construct a free and open Indo-Pacific and actions and policies that disrupt or undermine that are certainly not just of interest but are going to be a matter of discussion for QUAD members. These issues are on the agenda because they relate to a free and Open Indo-Pacific, but China is not the focus of the QUAD, and the QUAD is not about one country. It is about a larger vision that we're all trying to work," Jake Sullivan said.

On being asked about US President Biden's meeting with PM Modi and what he could say about what he wants India to do vis a vis China and Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine, US NSA Jake Sullivan said, “I won't go too deep into the details of what he will say on those issues which are obviously sensitive and will obviously be critical priorities in the bilateral meeting. I will just say that the United States has been clear about our view that Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine flouted every norm and principle of international law, that countries like India, India should step up and support the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that every country everywhere should refrain from supplying inputs to Russia's war machine for it to be able to continue to prosecute this brutal war.”

"So they will talk about that. The President will also hear from Prime Minister Modi about his trip to Ukraine, which was an important and indeed historic trip, and it will be the opportunity for the two of them to talk about their respective views on the way forward. And then with respect to China, you know, they will talk about how they see China's actions in the region where China is headed. And that's not just true in the security domain, but in the economic and technology domain as well. And work to try to coordinate approaches to the extent that makes sense for both...," he added.