Don’t target third party, China says, as Biden prepares to host Quad leaders

The White House will host leaders of Australia, Japan and India on September 24 for the first in-person Quad summit, as US pledges to counter China’s rise
Any regional alliance should aid mutual trust and cooperation, rather than target a third party or harm its interests, the Chinese foreign ministry says

US-China relations

Catherine Wong

Published: 9:02pm, 14 Sep 2021

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China has called on the US and its transpacific allies to abandon the “zero-sum mentality” and not target a third party, after the White House announced the first in-person summit of Quad leaders next week.

President Joe Biden will host Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House on September 24, their first face-to-face meeting.

The meeting comes after the Biden administration indicated it would divert its attention to tackling the challenges posed by a rising China, even as the US tries to salvage an international image damaged by its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan that has given rise to questions about American commitment to the region.

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During her trip to Southeast Asia last month US Vice-President Kamala Harris aimed to reaffirm that commitment.

Asked about the upcoming Quad meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called on the US and its allies to “abandon [their] zero-sum mentality”.

“The Chinese side believes that any regional cooperation mechanism should go with the trend of the times and be conducive to mutual trust and cooperation among countries in the region,” Zhao said.

“[It] should not target a third party or harm the interests of a third party,” he said, adding that China’s rise had benefited the region and the world.

“Countries should abandon the outdated zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical concept, and correctly view China’s development.”

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Announcing the meeting on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Quad leaders would focus on “deepening our ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas such as combating Covid-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

“The Biden-Harris administration has made elevating the Quad a priority, as seen through the first-ever Quad leaders-level engagement in March, which was virtual, and now this summit, which will be in person,” Psaki said.

The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a security grouping that has pledged to counter China’s military build-up in the Asia-Pacific.

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A senior US official said infrastructure would be among a range of topics discussed at the in-person summit, according to Reuters.

The Quad summit follows a phone call last week between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in which Xi said bilateral relations were facing “serious difficulties” because of Washington’s policies towards China.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Quad told to abandon ‘zero-sum mentality’