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Pompeo said the meeting was “something we had planned to do from the beginning.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with his Australian, Indian and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss how to deal with China.
The “Meeting of the Quartet” comes as the four countries seek to form a front against an increasingly dominant China.
Before leaving the United States, Pompeo said the meeting was “something that we had planned for a long time.”
The bilateral relationship between the United States and China in recent months has reached its lowest level in decades.
This led Washington to intensify cooperation with allies in the region.
The Quartet, represented by Motegi Toshimitsu of Japan, Marise Payne of Australia and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India, is expected to discuss issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and cybersecurity.
“I look forward to discussing enhanced cooperation to promote our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, made up of independent, strong and prosperous nations,” he said. Pompeo wrote on Twitter while leaving the United States.
Before the meeting, China warned against “sectarianism” to attack third parties.
“We hope that the interested countries can work for the common interests of the countries of the region and do more in favor of regional peace, stability and development, and not the other way around,” AFP. he quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Van Ban as saying.
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Also appeared Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (middle).
What is the Quartet?
The Quadrangle Initiative, informally known as the “Quadruple”, began in May 2007 with a meeting between the United States, Japan, India and Australia in the Philippine capital, Manila.
The informal group, started by then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, was seen by analysts as an attempt to increase cooperation in the face of an emerging China.
However, when Beijing formally opposed the Quartet, the members said their “strategic partnership” was aimed at maintaining regional security and not targeting any particular country.
Subsequently, the Quartet lost momentum and only regrouped a few years ago.
Why did the Quartet meet now?
This latest meeting comes at a time when the United States, India and Australia find tensions rising in their relations with China.
Since 2018, the United States and China have had a fierce trade war and in recent months they have been in conflict over many issues, including arrests by spies, the Covid-19 pandemic, and visa denials. Chinese international students.
Australia’s relationship with China is also deteriorating.
In September, the last two reporters working in China for the Australian media were evacuated after five days of diplomatic tension.
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Tensions in central India come after the recent border clash
And there are mounting tensions between Beijing and Delhi along their disputed borders in the Himalayas. The June fighting saw the first deadly confrontation between the two sides since 1975.
Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based security analyst for Asia-Pacific, said the “real key” to the Quartet’s new dynamic is “India’s consent to participate.”
“In recent years, there has been a lot of speculation that the Quartet will become a formalized framework. But it has been limited by India, which has a strong tradition of non-alignment. , “he said.
On the other hand, the United States has been “very consistent” with its message under President Donald Trump, he added.
“China’s dominant actions will not only lead to isolation, but will also spur like-minded friends and allies to unite,” Washington said. this. “
Neill hopes that Beijing will “accuse the United States of domination and the Cold War” and create alliances “to prevent the justified rise of China.”
Japan’s new prime minister, Suga Yoshihide, is expected to face a more subtle balancing act. Tokyo has seen a steady improvement in relations with Beijing, while Japan has also maintained close ties with the United States, India and Australia.
Suga told reporters on Monday that he will seek to “promote a free and open Indo-Pacific” and also “build stable relations with neighbors, including China.” and Russia “.
