Quad mantris meet virtually, but no public swipe at China
In a sharp and glaring contrast to the earlier Trump administration, the United States under the new Joe Biden presidency on Thursday publicly omitted any criticism or even mention of China in its statement after the foreign ministers of the four Quad nations -- the United States, Japan, Australia and India -- held their third meeting in a virtual format on Thursday. It may be recalled that after the previous physical Quad meeting in Tokyo in October, then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo had blasted China publicly for “exploitation, corruption, and coercion” in the “South (China Sea) , East China Sea, the Mekong, the Himalayas and the Taiwan Straits”. But a statement issued late Thursday evening by the US state department on the Quad meeting made no mention of China. The Quad is an arrangement that aims to preserve a
“rules-based order” in the Indo-Pacific region.
Instead, the US state department said that the four ministers “discussed countering disinformation, counterterrorism, maritime security, the urgent need to restore the democratically elected government in Burma (Myanmar) and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience in the broader region”.
New Delhi, meanwhile, said in a separate statement that the recent developments in Myanmar (where a military coup took place earlier this month) was discussed at the meeting, with India reiterating the “upholding of rule of law and the democratic transition”.The meeting was attended by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, Australian foreign minister Marise Payne and Japanese foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, where a “productive exchange of views on regional issues” took place, New Delhi said. The four Quad nations
“emphasised the commitment to upholding a rulesbased international order underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in international seas and peaceful resolution of disputes”, the New Delhi statement added, in what is seen by observers as the usual veiled indication towards China. Highlighting their “shared attributes as political democracies, market economies and pluralistic societies”, the four Quad nations “reiterated their common vision for a free, open and inclusive IndoPacific region, with clear support for Asean cohesion and centrality” and “noted that the IndoPacific concept gathered growing international support, including in Europe”, New Delhi added. The US state department said: “The ministers discussed Quadrilateral cooperation on the Covid-19 response and recovery and climate change and committed to working together to address these global challenges.”