US working with allies to strengthen position against China, says official

A senior American official on Tuesday said the United States is working closely with allies and partners to strengthen its position against China, adding the recent Quad Summit perfectly illustrated the current administration’s Beijing policy. The comment comes ahead of the crucial meeting between the top US and Chinese officials in Alaska. Relations between the United States and China are at their lowest point in decades, with both sides locking horns to gain upper hand against each other. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, are all set to meet with top Chinese foreign affairs officials in Alaska on Wednesday. Experts suggest that the meeting will be a one-off dialogue, where the US will confront China on a range of issues, including human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, which Beijing will have to address before moving forward in their ties with Washington. 

'Quad is perfect illustration of US' China policy'

The American official on Tuesday said the Biden administration is clear on what it wants to achieve with its China policy, which was perfectly demonstrated in the first Quad virtual meeting between leaders of India, Australia, Japan, and the US. Quad, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a grouping of four like-minded democracies in the Indo-Pacific, which was formed to address security and other challenges in the region. China sees Quad as an alliance led by the United States against the Communist regime in Beijing. 

However, the members of Quad argue that the grouping is not meant to counter China in any way as it is an alliance of four like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific to bring “meaningful” changes to the region and the world. Quad leaders have said for the time being they want to focus on handling the COVID-19 pandemic and increase vaccine production, with the help of India, which is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world.

"This isn't just about something that is here to counter China; this is about something that's actually about doing something that enhances our leverage, enhances the quality of life in the region in meaningful ways," the official said. 

The official further added in China there is a perception that the United States always have two different messages for the Communist state - one that it gives out in the public and the second that is conveyed privately. The official said that the new administration is determined to crush this perception and give the very same message in private that it says publicly about the atrocities and human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.   

"That includes making very clear our deep concerns about a range of issues, whether it's Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Chinese economic coercion of our allies and partners, China's increasingly aggressive activities across the Taiwan Strait," the official added.

The official further informed that Biden's administration is deeply invested in the Indo-Pacific, not just with partners in the region, but also with the US' European allies. The official said that the new administration has had a series of discussions on the Indo-Pacific with the European partners at all levels. Another official said there growing concerns regarding China's actions across the world. 

(With inputs from PTI)