The first face-to-face summit of a framework called quad, which the United States attaches great importance to against China, will be held on the 25th of Japan time. ..
A senior U.S. government official said, "Quad is not a military alliance," with countries concerned about sharpening conflicts with China, and emphasized that it is a framework for discussing a wide range of issues such as the new coronavirus and climate change.
Quad's first face-to-face summit will be held at the White House from early morning on the 25th of Japan time, with Prime Minister Suga in attendance.
In front of this, a senior official of the Biden administration said on the 23rd, "The challenges of the 21st century are concentrated in the Indo-Pacific region," keeping in mind China, which will continue to act to strengthen its marine expansion and continue to act with economic pressure. In addition, the quad framework will be an important place to deepen ties with countries that share values in addressing these issues.
On the other hand, with Asian countries concerned about the sharpening of the conflict with China, he said, "Quad is not a military alliance. It is a group of democratic nations aiming for a free and open Indo-Pacific." He emphasized that it is a framework for discussing a wide range of issues such as coronavirus and climate change.
The four quad countries also have different senses of distance from China, especially India, which borders and has China as its largest trading partner, is wary of overstimulating China.
In addition to the quad, the United States launched a new security framework "AUKUS" with the United Kingdom and Australia this month, and by strengthening cooperation with allies and friends in multiple layers, China I would like to counter this.
What is "quad"?
"QUAD" is a word that means "4" in English, and is a framework made in four countries: Japan, the United States, Australia, and India.
In 2006, Japan called for a strategic dialogue between the four countries, triggered by the cooperation of the four countries to support the affected areas during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
And then, as the former Trump administration in the United States will cooperate with China to counter it, he led a foreign ministers' meeting in this framework, and after becoming the Biden administration, the meeting was upgraded to the leader level, and this March , The first summit was held online.
This is the first face-to-face meeting, with the aim of strengthening collaboration in a wide range of fields, including security and economics in the Indo-Pacific region, climate change issues, countermeasures against the new coronavirus, and the cyber field.
For the Biden administration, which positions China as its "biggest competitor," it is one of the frameworks that it places particular emphasis on, with the aim of curbing China's actions as authoritarian by putting common values such as democracy in the foreground. There seems to be.
On the other hand, the temperature difference between the four countries has been pointed out, as India, which has strong economic ties with China, has repeatedly shown its stance that it should not be regarded as a framework against China.
The aim of the Biden administration is
The Biden administration in the United States attaches great importance to close cooperation with allies in order to counter China, which is positioned as the "largest competitor".
For this reason, we would like to impress a strong connection by holding the first face-to-face "Quad" summit meeting.
In addition, the Biden administration announced this month that it will establish a new security framework for the Indo-Pacific region called "AUKUS" with the United Kingdom and Australia, and will provide technical assistance for Australia to deploy its first nuclear submarine. rice field.
It is extremely unusual for the United States to cooperate with foreign countries on the technology of nuclear submarines, and it is perceived that it has made a major military step with China in mind through support for the deployment of nuclear submarines, which are said to have a long cruising range and are difficult to detect. increase.
President Biden has indicated that he is willing to cooperate in areas where interests are aligned, such as the new coronavirus and climate change, in his speech at the UN General Assembly on the 21st of this month. I don't want a cold war. "
On the other hand, China, which positions competition with China as "a struggle between democracy and tyranny", strengthens its advance into the ocean, and continues to act without resigning economic pressure, over fundamental values. There is a difference.
He explained that the reason behind the withdrawal of the US military last month after ending the 20-year military operation in Afghanistan is to focus on the competition between the great powers with China and other countries.
American expert "Biden administration needed to show action"
Bonnie Glazer, a Chinese expert at the German Marshall Fund, a think tank in the United States, said of the quad summit in Washington, DC, "the first face-to-face summit and new security in the region. It will be a very important opportunity to strengthen the framework of the United States. "
And while discussions were held with the rising China in mind, "some countries are cautious about seeing the quad as an'anti-China'framework, especially India, in military security. We hope to discuss softer areas such as climate change, "he said, saying that climate change, supply chains such as semiconductors, and countermeasures against the new coronavirus will be the main agenda items.
In addition, even if the United States invited Prime Minister Suga to resign, Mr. Glazer said, "The Biden administration has stumbled over the issue of withdrawal from Afghanistan in recent months. "The behavior is unilateral and is no different from the previous Trump administration," he said, and it was necessary to show that the United States was doing the right thing. " I analyzed that it would be an opportunity to dispel the skeptical view.
Australia's aim
Australia aims to curb China, which has trade friction, by strengthening its "quad" ties.
While the Australian government said last year that "an independent investigation is needed to determine the source of the new coronavirus," China strongly opposes and adds tariffs on Australian wine and barley. We took measures such as one after another.
As trade friction with China intensifies, Australia is also becoming more wary of security against China, which is stepping up its marine expansion.
This month, together with the United States and the United Kingdom, three countries announced a policy to create a new security framework "AUKUS" and introduce Australia's first nuclear-powered submarine.
While "AUKUS" aims at security cooperation, "Quad" has a wide range of fields including the economy, such as recovery of the economy exhausted by the influence of the new corona and construction of a supply chain that does not depend excessively on China. We are aiming for cooperation in.
"Quad is a positive initiative to promote freedom and independence in the Indo-Pacific region and improve the standard of living in the region," Prime Minister Morrison, who visited Washington for the "Quad" summit, said yesterday.
He emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation, saying, "Australia has cooperative relations with many countries. Quad and AUKUS are in a perfect complementary relationship."
By participating in the "Quad" summit meeting held immediately after the establishment of "AUKUS", Australia reaffirms its stance against China and shares values such as democracy among the four countries. The aim is to confirm cooperation and restrain China.
Australian expert "India is important"
The "Quad" summit will be held more than a week after Australia announced the creation of a new security framework "AUKUS" with the United States and the United Kingdom this month.
For this reason, experts point out that Australia has an emphasis on multilateral cooperation and aims to curb China, where relations are chilling.
"AUKUS specializes in military cooperation with traditional partner countries, with the aim of countering China, and Quad is not limited to the military," said John Lee, senior researcher at the University of Sydney's United States Studies Center. The two frameworks complement each other in a framework for promoting strategic cooperation in a wide range of fields. At this quad summit meeting held immediately after the establishment of AUKUS, Australia will take a stand against China. It will be an important time to show each country again. "
"India has the second largest population in the world and will be one of the largest economies of scale in the world in the future. It has a stronger naval power and is as concerned about China as we are. "There is," he pointed out the importance of India.
"India is expected to increase its strategic presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The quad is one of the means to do so," he said. In the future, within the framework of the quad, especially the Indian economy. He said that he would increase his strategic and military presence.
India's aim
Through its quad summit, India aims to strengthen ties with relevant countries and strengthen the security of the Indo-Pacific.
India, which has a territorial dispute with China, is still in tension, with both sides clashing in the border area last June, causing casualties to each other.
In addition, under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative of the giant economic zone, China is nervous about its efforts to increase its influence over Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and neighboring Bangladesh.
On the other hand, there is also the speculation that China is India's largest trading partner and is indispensable for its own economic growth, so it does not want to overstimulate it.
Regarding the quad, India has repeatedly expressed the recognition that it "does not compete with a specific country", and the fact is that it is different from the so-called "siege against China".
India has not changed its basic stance of developing "omnidirectional diplomacy" in cooperation with related countries according to national interests, and at this meeting as well, measures against the new coronavirus, including the manufacture and supply of vaccines, which are its strengths. We would like to further deepen our cooperation on global issues.
Regarding the situation in Afghanistan, India is the only country in the four countries to be wary of the destabilization of the region and the hotbed of terrorism, and the approach of the hostile Pakistan to the Islamist Taliban. There is also the aim of discussing these concerns with the United States and other countries.