In a nod to Quad, US, Australia call for rules-based order in Indo-Pacific

WASHINGTON: The US and Australia have called for a “free, open, and prosperous rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region,” echoing the central theme that binds The Quad, an emerging four-nation compact with India and Japan focussed on managing and countering China’s rise.

“We are committed to fostering an Indo-Pacific region where all countries abide by international law,” said the US-Australia joint statement after a meeting of their leaders Donald Trump and Malcom Turnbull at the White House on Friday. “A free, open, and prosperous rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region is in both our nations’ enduring national interests,” it said.

There was expectation in the run-up to their meeting that discussions would include a project the US, Australia, India and Japan were jointly considering to rival China’s ambitious multi-billion-dollar One Belt, One Road initiative. There was speculation they could announce it, something officials had dismissed as not “ripe enough”, The Australian Financial Review reported.

But the two countries did say in the statement they “intend to continue to use diplomacy and assistance to support good governance and smart development decisions in the region”.

The first formal meeting of the Quad, short for quadrilateral, took place in November.