Pompeo meets Japanese counterpart Motegi in Tokyo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, said they will lead a regional initiative called “Free and Open Indo-Pacific" aimed at countering China's growing assertiveness, a main issue they will discuss Tuesday with the top envoys from Australia and India.

Motegi, opening his working lunch with Pompeo ahead of the so-called Quad talks, said the Japan-U.S. alliance continues to be “the cornerstone of peace and stability in the region” under new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga who took office on September 16, vowing to carry on his predecessor Shinzo Abe's hawkish security and diplomatic stance.

Pompeo welcomed Suga's recent description of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific as the foundation of regional peace and stability and that “I could not agree him more.” The first in-person talks among the foreign ministers since the coronavirus pandemic began also brings together Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

On his way to Tokyo, Pompeo told reporters that the four countries hope to have some “significant achievements” at the meeting, but did not elaborate. Japanese officials say they will discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative for greater security and economic cooperation that Japan and the US have been pushing to bring together “like-minded” countries that share concerns about China’s growing assertiveness and influence.

The talks come weeks ahead of the US presidential election and amid tensions between the US and China over the virus, trade, technology, Hong Kong, Taiwan and human rights. Pompeo is attending the Quad meeting, though he canceled subsequent planned visits to South Korea and Mongolia after President Donald Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19. The president was released Monday and returned to the White House. The talks follow a recent flareup in tensions between China and India over their disputed Himalayan border. Relations between Australia and China have also deteriorated in recent months.

(Image Credits: AP)

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