‘Quad’ summit backs ‘democratic’ Indo-Pacific region, cites Chinese ‘aggression’

US President Joe Biden and the leaders of three major Asia-Pacific countries, an alliance known as the “Quad”, discussed “aggression” and “coercion” against members of the group by China, while agreeing to cooperate on development of 5G and other advanced technologies, in their first summit meeting on Friday.

Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, meeting by means of large flat-screen televisions, discussed China’s “coercion of Australia, their harassment around the Senkaku Islands, their aggression on the border with India”, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a briefing in Washington after the talks.

A statement issued by the group called for the region to be “anchored by democratic values” – and for freedom of navigation and overflight as key objectives – while avoiding any direct reference to China. They also announced a “Quad Vaccine Partnership”, which will provide financing and other assistance to manufacture and distribute Covid-19 vaccines, a move that comes as Washington faces criticism for hoarding the protective jabs.

The Quad – shorthand for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – said in the first of five points in the statement that: “We bring diverse perspectives and are united in a shared vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion.”

“We support the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity,” the statement says later.

“We will continue to prioritise the role of international law in the maritime domain, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas,” they added.

The grouping also pledged establish a working group to focus on standard-setting for emerging technologies, including 5G and artificial intelligence; to cooperate on combating the effects of climate change in accordance with the Paris Climate Accord; to address Covid-19 within the World Health Organization (WHO); work towards the complete denuclearisation of North Korea; and seek the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.