China's 'sudden turn toward gross aggression' matter of concern: US Official

Following the Quad meeting in Tokyo, a senior US official has reportedly said that China has taken a drastic turn towards “gross aggression” against its neighbours. While the Quad ministers vowed for a coordinated response to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-pacific region, a senior US State Department official who travelled with Mike Pompeo told reporters that China’s aggressive policies have become a matter of concern for the United States. 

The Foreign Ministers of India, Australia, Japan, and the US from the Indo-pacific group also known as Quad group had met in Tokyo this week showcasing a united front against Beijing. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne reiterated their stance on strengthening a free, open and rules-based international order. 

PTI quoted the official saying, “That is the concern. I mean, if you look at the conflict in the Himalayas between China and India, something that has been in the past handled according to unspoken or unwritten rules to prevent these things from getting out of control, and then you look at what happened here recently, where you've got actually people beating each other to death.”

“If you look at the single thing that's driving all this, it's a sudden turn toward gross aggression by the Chinese government in its entire periphery. I mean, you take it all the way around the Indo-Pacific and its western borders; you're seeing things that you haven't seen before, and these are responding to that,” said the official.

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(With PTI inputs)