US official says important to work with like-minded partners amid growing Chinese threat

United States Department of State on Friday, October 23 said that with China's increasingly aggressive behaviour across Indo-Pacific, it is important to work with like-minded partners such as India. official said that Secretary Pompeo and India's foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar along with ir Japanese and Australian counterparts met in Tokyo for second ministerial-level meeting, adding that with growing Chinese threat in region it is important than ever to work with like-minded countries such as India. 

Read: Pompeo Deunces China's Exploitation, Stresses Importance Of Quad Collaboration

A State Department official said that doors for QUAD are always open for or countries that want to participate in discussions that US, India, Japan, and Australia take up every w and n. official, while speaking at Washington Foreign Press Centre, clarified that QUAD is t an alliance as countries involved do t have any reciprocal obligation towards each or. "re's thing about QUAD that is an alliance. It doesn't have, it is t formalised. re's reciprocal obligation among countries that are involved. It's t an organisation that solicits memberships," official said. 

Read: China Accuses Mike Pompeo Of 'maliciously' Creating Political Confrontation

QUAD meeting

four foreign ministers met in Tokyo on October 6 to discuss Chinese threat across Indo-Pacific, from Himalayan border to South China Sea, where Beijing's aggressive behaviour is causing trouble and disruption. ministers discussed ways to strengn cooperation between four QUAD nations in order to keep Indo-pacific free and open for all. four nations will participate in Malabar 2020 exercise that is scheduled to take place later this year in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. 

Read: EAM S Jaishankar Meets Australian Counterpart Marise Payne On QUAD 2020 Sidelines

Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) was set up in 2007 by n US Vice-President Dick Cheney, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Australian PM John Howard and Japanese PM Sinzo Abe. However, grouping had died down due to withdrawal of Australia. But in 2017 it was reestablished again following negotiations between US, India, Japan, and Australia. grouping is counter to China's growing military ambitions in Indo-pacific region.

Read: Exercise Malabar 2020: Australia Accepts India's Invitation Amid Tensions With China