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Australia’s Scott Morrison backs revived Quad grouping with US, Japan and India as counter to China
- Scott Morrison said the grouping, which includes Australia, Japan, India and the US, is ‘a key forum for exchanging views on challenges facing the region’
- Australia and the US have been concerned China may be looking to establish a base in the South Pacific that would extend its military reach toward the Americas
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to cement the Quad – a grouping with the United States, Japan and India intended to act a counter to China’s growing might – into the Indo-Pacific’s diplomatic and security architecture.
A week after the Quad met in New York at the ministerial level for the first time after the concept was revived in 2017, Morrison described the grouping in a Sydney speech as “an important forum for Australia and the region” that “complements the role of Asean and Asean-led architecture”.
While not mentioning Beijing in relation to the Quad – which was created more than a decade ago during the George W Bush administration before going into a hiatus – Morrison said on Thursday: “It is a key forum for exchanging views on challenges facing the region, including taking forward practical cooperation on maritime, terrorism and cyber issues.”
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Beijing’s increasing economic influence, military might and diplomatic footprint in the Indo-Pacific has triggered concerns among the Quad nations.
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The elevation of the discussion last week, on the fringes of United Nations General Assembly, from official-level talks suggests the previously informal framework is being strengthened to present a united front on regional security issues.
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