The "Quad" summit, which will be held in Japan, the United States, Australia, and India, will be held in Tokyo on the 24th, in line with President Biden's visit to Japan.
How will the United States face China, which is gaining economic and military influence in the Indo-Pacific region, as Russia is busy responding to its military invasion of Ukraine?
I will explain in detail the thoughts of each country toward Russia and China.
(Kouhei Tsuji, Washington Bureau, Kimitoshi Hirasawa, New Delhi Branch, Midori Aoki, Sydney Branch)
What is "quad" in the first place?
"QUAD" is a word that means "4" in English, and is a framework for cooperation and cooperation created by the four countries of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India.
The four countries participating in the "Quad" share values such as democracy, and it seems that they want to suppress China's actions to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific region by strengthening cooperation with each other. ..
Quad-led America
The United States attaches great importance to cooperation with allies and friends who share values in opposition to China, and positions the quad as one of its frameworks.
For this reason, President Biden raised the quad, which was a ministerial-level framework, to the summit level and held an online summit meeting in March last year.
We have agreed to hold the first face-to-face summit in September and to hold it every year in the future.
The United States has an alliance with Japan and Australia, and India is a major power in the Indo-Pacific region where the United States is deeply involved, although it is not an ally, and it is positioned as an important partner in competing with China.
How will Japan approach this meeting?
This is the fourth summit meeting, including online.
This is the first meeting for a working lunch, and the Government of Japan wants to deepen personal relationships of trust and confirm unity and cooperation.
In addition, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, the value of the "free and open Indo-Pacific", which is the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy, is entering an important phase, and it is a timely meeting.
With China and other countries intensifying their supremacy, the aim is to maintain an international order based on the rule of law and to further promote efforts toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific. I have.
In addition, we would like to confirm cooperation in response to North Korea, which has been pointed out that it may launch long-range ballistic missiles and conduct nuclear tests by repeatedly launching ballistic missiles.
It is expected that opinions will be exchanged over the situation in Ukraine, and Prime Minister Kishida explained Japan's response such as an additional loan of 300 million dollars, and will continue to support in cooperation with G7 = seven major countries. It is a policy to emphasize.
However, India has been a friend of Russia for many years, and since it is different from Europe and the United States, which are tightening sanctions on Russia, the current situation is unilateral by force in any region of the world with this military invasion in mind. The focus will likely be on sharing the perception that changes are not allowed.
On the other hand, it is expected that discussions will be held for further cooperation by confirming the progress of discussions in the working groups in 6 fields such as measures against new corona such as vaccines promoted in 4 countries.
What is Australia's aim?
Australia attaches great importance to working with quad nations to counter China, whose relations have cooled to the point of being "worst in decades."
China strongly opposes the Australian government's statement that "an independent investigation is needed to elucidate the source of the new coronavirus."
We have taken a series of measures to limit imports from Australia.
Furthermore, in April, it was revealed that China had signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean located approximately 2000 kilometers northeast of Australia.
As China expands its influence in the Pacific region, Australia's cooperation with India, which is increasing its economic and military presence in the region in addition to the United States and Japan, will compete with China. I think it will be the key to the future.
What is India's aim?
India, which is the only country in the quad to face China for about 3,500 kilometers in a continuous manner, seems to be in line with the other three countries in terms of competing with China.
Despite strong economic ties, long-standing conflicts over unbounded areas and China's growing military, political and economic influence in the surrounding areas of India. The reason is.
However, the big difference is that it is ostensibly different from the so-called "siege against China" like the other three countries.
What is India's position?
The quad emphasizes the word "inclusive" and externally states that it "does not compete with a particular country."
This is because there are occasions when it cooperates with China in environmental issues and multilateral frameworks, quads are not perceived as an alliance, and there is unnecessary tension in the surrounding area including Southeast Asia. It seems that there may be.
India, a nuclear power with a population of about 1.4 billion, which continues to grow economically and is comparable to China, maintains "strategic autonomy" in which it decides itself without being influenced by the speculation of a great power. I'm trying to face you.
On the other hand, what about America?
The United States has taken these Indian concerns into account at previous meetings.
The agenda of the meeting has focused on themes that are easy to reach consensus, such as the supply of the new corona vaccine.
In the quad framework, in addition to countermeasures against the new coronavirus and climate change, we are trying to deepen cooperation in fields such as space and cyber that China is strengthening, high-speed and large-capacity communication standards, and advanced technologies such as 5G. increase.
Will the Ukraine issue affect you?
Even in the response to Russia over the situation in Ukraine, there is a gap between the positions of the three countries of Japan, the United States and Australia and India.
India is a traditional friend of Russia, has purchased a large amount of weapons, and has deep political ties, so it has consistently abstained from the vote on Russia held at the UN General Assembly.
India, which continues to take a position not to directly condemn the military invasion, is expected to seek an understanding of its position that the friendly relations with Russia cannot be broken at this summit.
The focus is not only on the opposition to China, but also on how well the four countries can keep pace with Russia over the situation in Ukraine.