India is not averse to institutionalizing the interaction between four major democracies committed to securing the Indo-Pacific principles and shared vision on maritime security, cyber, critical technologies, infrastructure, counter-terrorism and regional cooperation, people familiar with development said. ahead of Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Tokyo on Monday for Quad’s crucial security dialogue.
“India has no objections to formalizing the Quad dialogue with the US, Japan and Australia, as the interaction has already been going on since 2017 with a meeting of foreign ministers to be held on the sidelines of the UNGA. in 2019. If the other three members want to institutionalize the dialogue, India is ready to participate, ”said a senior official familiar with the government’s thinking on the matter.
While China has tried to drive a wedge between the four countries by calling it an exclusive group and even reaching out to Japan for a bilateral economic revival, Quad’s vision was best summed up by the US undersecretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, David Stilwell. Friday. “QUAD seeks to establish, promote and secure the Indo-Pacific principles, especially as tactics, aggression and coercion by the People’s Republic of China increase in the region,” he said.
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As much as China tries to exert diplomatic pressure on the group, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on the eve of his visit to Tokyo, tweeted that the reckless economic policies of the Chinese Communist Party and its ruthless crackdown on environmental activists have caused environmental disasters in China. . The world cannot afford the CCP’s economic development model. In a series of tweets on October 3, Pompeo said that China irresponsibly exploits natural resources around the world, threatening the global economy.
Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also made his preference clear when speaking with Chinese Supreme Leader Xi Jinping after speaking with the leaders of the United States, Australia and India in his first calls.
All the Quad countries have serious problems with China; India and Japan have territorial differences, while Australia and the United States are on the receiving end of Beijing’s trade wars.
It is understood that under the Quad critical technology rubric, the four ministers will discuss cooperation in 5G and 5G plus technologies, as well as increase interoperability during military exercises in the Indo-Pacific.
India will also accept a call for Australia’s participation in this year’s Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal later this month, an official said.
The four foreign ministers will discuss the security environment in the region with India briefing Quad’s partners on the clash with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Ladakh region. China has deployed nearly 50,000 troops to occupied China in Aksai, Tibet, and Xinjiang to pressure India to agree to its 1959 LAC maximalist line.
The Modi government has taken note of the Chinese statement on Ladakh and Kashmir since Article 370 was repealed on August 5, 2019. It considers Beijing’s suggestion that New Delhi should stay away from the US. implication, to continue being a more condescending, arrogant and close regional power. of a rising power that does not understand the spirit of civilization in India.
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