Published 14:05 IST, February 18th 2021
'Advancing shared goals': Biden announces renewed Quad talks neglecting threats from China
The US announced talks for Thursday with Australia, India and Japan with US President Joe Biden renewing the ‘Quad’ alliance in defiance of warnings by China.
The United States announced talks for Thursday with Australia, India and Japan with US President Joe Biden renewing the ‘Quad’ alliance in defiance of warnings by China. The US State Department said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be interacting with the foreign ministers of all the three nations virtually with COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis being on the agenda. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told the reporters on February 17 that “these discussions with the Quad foreign ministers is critical to advancing our shared goals of a free and open Indo-Pacific and rising to the defining challenges of our times.”
Brainchild of then Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) was launched in 2007 with an aim to convene partners to balance rising China. As per reports, while India and Australia had initially been cautious over antagonizing China, the Quad format, over the years has not only expanded but the relations with Beijing of both nations have deteriorated over a range of issues.
In November 2020, the Quad nations held a four-way naval exercised in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Australia participated for the first time in more than a decade. Further, since Biden administration has made it evident that it would renew the 'Quad' alliance, China's state-run Global Times earlier this month warned US President that renewing the Quad would be a "serious strategic blunder". China also said that Biden might trigger "a severe strategic confrontation" with Beijing by trying to hinder its dominance
US Calls Quad ‘key Example'
Meanwhile, the US on February 9 described the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) as a “key example” of Washington working with its “closest partners” for the good of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. While speaking at the daily news briefing, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had said that Quad is the key example of the US and added that Washington views the grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the US as having “essential momentum” and “important potential” to deepen engagement on areas of “tradition focus” and to “confront defining issues of our time”.
Price said, “What I would say generally is that the Quad is a key example of the United States and our closest partners, including, in this case, India, pulling together for the good of a free and open Indo-Pacific region”.
He added, “We view the Quad as having essential momentum and important potential, and that's why we're going to build on it by deepening cooperation on areas of traditional focus, and that includes maritime security, while also working closely with Quad partners to confront some of the defining issues of our time”.
Updated 14:02 IST, February 18th 2021