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On February 18, the foreign ministers of the “security quartet” or “diamond quartet” that includes the United States, Japan, Australia and India just had an online meeting. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken.
The “Diamond Quartet” coordinates more closely
NATO warns of China’s riseNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on February 19 called on members and partners to strengthen ties because China’s rise “has consequences” for transatlantic security. “The rise of China is an existing problem for the transatlantic community with possible consequences for our security, prosperity and our way of life,” Stoltenberg told the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, organized online on February 19, according to AFP. “That is why NATO should deepen our relationships with our close partners like Australia and Japan and establish new partners globally,” Stoltenberg added. China’s rising power is reshaping NATO’s priorities, which often center on the Russian threat, according to Reuters. NATO is now seeking a consensus among Western countries that China is no longer a “friendly trading partner.” Huynh thiem |
According to GS Sato, at the beginning of October 2020, the meeting of foreign ministers of the “diamond quartet” in Tokyo (Japan) took place as a monologue of the then US Secretary of State, Mr. Mike Pompeo to criticize China. , Making the remaining 3 countries somewhat in a quandary. At the time, concerned that when Biden became president of the United States, Washington’s policy toward Beijing might change, so the remaining partners of the “quartet” have not yet voiced their support for Pompeo’s criticism of China. .
Mr. Sato analyzed in more detail: “At the February 18 meeting, the statement of the US State Department was peaceful. That is probably intended to make it easier for Beijing to seek reconciliation with Washington. However, a statement from the Japanese side of the meeting showed that the meeting discussed Myanmar’s situation and China’s new maritime law, which allows the country’s seas to open fire on foreign ships in waters over which Beijing claims sovereignty.
In fact, after the previous meeting, Washington also formally criticized China’s new maritime law. Specifically, Reuters quoted US State Department spokesman Ned Price speaking at a press conference on February 19 (local time) in Washington, stating that the country “concerns about the wording of the new law , which is clearly hidden There is a potential risk that Chinese maritime forces may use force to bolster China’s claims, ongoing maritime and territorial disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
“The last meeting showed that the ‘quartet’ has closer coordination and the willingness of the Biden administration to share allied concerns,” said Professor Sato. Turn around 18.2 online meeting.
Coordinate with many parties
Also responding to Thanh Nien, Associate Professor Stephen Robert Nagy (International Christian University – Japan; Asia-Pacific Foundation Scholar in Canada) commented: The last meeting of the “quartet” aims to build motivation was achieved after the conference in October 2020. The February 18 meeting also showed that the “quartet” can still develop even when Shinzo Abe no longer leads the Japanese government and Donald Trump is no longer in the US presidency. For a long time, the United States with Trump and Japan with Abe are seen as two pioneering members in the construction of the “diamond quartet.”
Transatlantic connections
According to Prime Minister Johnson, the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier group carrying the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter will coordinate with US warships to emphasize the possibility of cooperation between the two sides. Not only that, Johnson also claimed that Britain is working with the United States, France and Germany as a transatlantic quartet to solve urgent problems.
Recently, the UK not only plans to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group in the South China Sea, but also wants to join the “security ring”. Furthermore, Britain, France and Germany have continuously taken action in response to China’s concerns in the Indo-Pacific in general and the East Sea in particular.
Recently, French Defense Minister Florence Parly revealed that a country’s nuclear-powered attack submarine has just made a voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In particular, the submarine headed to the East Sea to demonstrate “the ability to coordinate offshore and long-term” with strategic partners such as the United States, Australia and Japan. The trip was also emphasized by Minister Florence Parly as a commitment to protect international law.
On February 19, the South China Morning Post reported that two French warships, the amphibious assault ship Tonnerre and the escort ship Surcouf, had just left their home port on February 18 for a three-month mission to the Peaceful. Two warships are expected to be present in the South China Sea twice on this mission and will conduct joint exercises with the United States and Japan in May.
Late last year, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said the country wanted to send warships to the Indo-Pacific to exercise with the Australian navy, a member of the “diamond quartet.” Also in 2020, France, along with Great Britain and Germany, submitted a note to the United Nations to protest China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
Therefore, the developments promise to coordinate the formation of a “diamond alliance” with a network stretching from the Indo-Pacific to the ocean liner to counter Beijing’s disruptive behavior.
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