CHINA slammed the Quad group for holding a meeting in India while member states denied they are a military grouping designed to counter China.
The meeting between the foreign ministers of Australia, the US, Japan, and India in New Delhi triggered fresh criticisms from China for promoting exclusivity.
Quad leaders on Friday released a joint statement announcing the establishment of a Working Group on Counter-Terrorism which calls for cooperation amongst Quad and Indo-Pacific partners to counter new and emerging forms of terrorism, radicalization, violence, and violent extremism.
Without mentioning China, the foreign ministers of Quad countries reaffirmed the group’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific as well as support for the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement, freedom of navigation and overflight, while opposing any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the region and beyond.
“Our meeting today reaffirms the Quad’s steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient. We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force, and freedom of navigation and overflight, and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are essential to the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” joint statement by Foreign Ministers of Australia, US, India, and Japan.
The Quad meeting was presided over by Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and was held on the sidelines of the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue and a day after the G20 Summit Foreign Ministers meeting.
The event was also attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Meanwhile, Quad leader’s meeting in New Delhi earned criticisms from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning who said that China supports state-to-state dialogue that promotes peace and development rather than exclusivity, adding that countries should do more to contribute to regional mutual trust, peace, and regional stability.
Amid concerns about China’s growing influence, Australia and the United States are speeding up efforts to avoid export restrictions and ensure the seamless transfer of US technology under the AUKUS deal.
