Washington, Sep 14: US President Joe Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad summit on September 24 that will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga, the White House has announced, signalling Washington’s focus on the Indo-Pacific region in the face of China’s growing economic and military clout.
The four leaders would discuss promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, addressing the climate crisis and deepening their ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas like combatting COVID-19, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday. They will also discuss partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, she said.
China on Tuesday hit out at the upcoming Quad summit, saying the formation of “exclusive cliques” targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and is “doomed to fail”.
“It is China’s consistent belief that any regional cooperation mechanism should follow the trend of peace and development, and help promote mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries rather than target a third party or undermine its interests,” Zhao said. China is not only a major engine of economic growth in the Asia-Pacific, but also a staunch defender of regional peace and stability, he said. (AP)
