It was one of the first summits, albeit in virtual form, for Python, who vowed to renew US alliances.
“President Biden is one of his first multilateral commitments, which underscores the importance of our close cooperation with our allies and Indo-Pacific partners,” White House Press Secretary Jen Saki told reporters on Tuesday.
The meeting, in the face of growing tensions with China, is the first meeting to unite the leaders of a group known as the “Quad”.
The meeting “will mark a historic moment in our region and will send a strong message of our support for an independent and sovereign Indo-Pacific region,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters.
China has issued a warning to the newly formed alliance in its vicinity.
“The quartet must” integrate itself with current trends in peaceful development and cooperation, “Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing.
Earlier announcing the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said both the Saki and India talks would address the Govt-19 epidemic, which has two priorities for climate change and Biden.
“The leaders will discuss regional and global issues of shared interest and exchange views on practical areas of cooperation to maintain an independent, open and all-inclusive Indo-Pacific region,” the Indian Foreign Minister said in a statement.
The talks, which will also be attended by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suka, will address issues such as promoting maritime security and “ensuring safe, equitable and affordable vaccines to combat COVID-19 in Asia,” India said in a statement.
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Japan spoke privately with Suu Kyi on Thursday and expressed concern over “China’s unilateral efforts to change the situation in the East and China Seas” and the human rights situation in Xinjiang. (Northwest) and Hong Kong.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nate Price told reporters that the “quad” was well-equipped to deal with “emergency challenges”, but when asked about China, the coalition pointed out that “it is not against any individual competitor”.
The summit took place on February 18 during talks between the “Quad” foreign ministers, who jointly proposed to restore democracy in Burma, after the military ousted the Democratic leader on February 1. Aung San Suu Kyi.
U.S. officials see the meeting as a better way to lobby, as India and Japan have close ties to the Burmese military, which has historically relied on China as its strongest supporter.
However, the “quad” foreign ministers were careful not to explicitly mention China, which has already raised concerns about what it considers to be a friendly attempt against its interests in Asia.
After Biden’s election, Chinese state media published articles urging New Delhi to end the “quad”.
But visions in India have been hardened by the tough situation in the Himalayas, with at least 20 Indian soldiers killed. China has cited four deaths in a half-year-long confirmation.
As relations with Beijing deteriorated, Australia showed interest in participating in the “Quad”, joining naval exercises with three other countries off the coast of India last year.
“Quad” was launched in 2007 by then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, alarmed by China’s growing commitment to Asia.
Biden has vowed to widely pursue the harsh path of his predecessors on China, including pressure on human rights and land issues.
However, his administration has vowed to see this as a productive approach, including enhancing relations with allies and identifying areas that are limited to cooperation with Beijing, such as climate change.
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