Top US diplomat denies the Quad’s purpose is to counter a rising China

‘It is about standing up for a rules-based order, making sure that we uphold those rules and principles if they’re being challenged,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken says

Noting that ‘diplomacy is all about ambiguity’, former State Department official suggests comment reflects nuances of building alliances and confronting Beijing

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the University of Melbourne on Thursday, ahead of Quad ministerial meetings being hosted by the Australian government. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:33am, 11 Feb 2022Updated: 4:31pm, 11 Feb 2022

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected the notion on Thursday that the informal “Quad” alliance of the US, Australia, India and Japan exists only to counter a rising and more assertive China.

“This is not about standing against anyone in particular,” Blinken told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation when asked whether the group’s goal was to offset China’s influence in the region.

Blinken (second from left), ahead of the Friday meeting of the Quad foreign ministers, takes part in a health security partnerships discussion in Melbourne. Photo: AFP

“It is about standing up for a rules-based order, making sure that we uphold those rules and principles if they’re being challenged.”

Blinken’s interview came in the middle of a multi-day trip across the Pacific, and ahead of a meeting among the four Quad foreign ministers. A senior US State Department official said last week it would likely discuss the “challenges that China poses” to democratic values in the region.

Analysts and former officials say that Blinken’s remarks on Thursday – including an apparent unwillingness to mention China by name while discussing the Quad’s goals – reflect the delicate balance that the Joe Biden administration has to strike when corralling allies and confronting another superpower.

“One thing I’ve learned: diplomacy is all about ambiguity,” said David Stilwell, who served as the State Department’s top East Asia official during Donald Trump’s administration. “If you come out too strong on any issue, you box yourself in. You force yourself into a corner.”