Tokyo – Senior U. S. diplomats and three of their key Asia-Pacific allies met Tuesday in the Japanese capital, united in their determination to counter China’s assertiveness in the region.
The 4 countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, as it is most commonly known, are the United States, Japan, Australia and India. Members have met sporadically since the casual alliance formed in 2007, however, on Tuesday they agreed to meet annually in the future.
Each had its own issues of dispute with Beijing, almost naval operations carried out through Chinese ships near the territory claimed through Japan in the East China Sea; a fatal confrontation between India and China; and Australia’s call for an investigation into the cause of the COVID-19 outbreak in China.
U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted on Japanese television that the “Quad” organization is not just “a rivalry between the United States and China. “
“It’s for the soul of the global,” he said, “whether it’s a global one that works (like) a rule-based foreign formula, or a formula governed by a totalitarian coercive regime like China’s. “
However, quad’s other members refused to take Washington’s business stance on the world’s second-largest economy. China remains an indispensable business spouse for Japan, Australia and India, as well as for the United States.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne has apparently moved away from the misfortune in Beijing through her name, saying, “Whether it’s individual human rights, market economies, the fight against incorrect information or building resistance from our chain of sources, our unusual values and interests mean we share a free indo-Pacific vision , open and disgustingly rich. “
Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, was also cautious and told reporters this week that “the global would possibly fit even more unpredictably and uncontrollable due to the intensification of self-centered nationalism and the growing tension between the United States and China. “
Suga promised to publicize the Indo-Pacific Free and Open Strategy (FOIP), with the Japan-US alliance. The U. S. as a cornerstone, while consolidating relations with China and Russia. FOIP, a key initiative of Suga’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, considered important in protecting Japan’s sea routes.
The Quad rally marked a diplomatic start for Suga, who lacks experience in foreign affairs.
Experts have thrown bloodwater at the prospect of the Quad adapting to a collective security organization like NATO in Europe, largely due to considerations in the Asia-Pacific region about combating China.
Pompeo was originally scheduled to travel to Mongolia and South Korea, but made the decision to shorten his itinerary after President Trump contracted the coronavirus.
He arrived at the Yokota air base outside of central Tokyo on Monday for a day of meetings without marrying, and left Tuesday night after its conclusion.