New Delhi: US President Joe Biden will host a summit with the leaders of Australia, India, and Japan this year to bring“decisive" commitments on vaccine diplomacy and infrastructure. Known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue it was established in 2007 and representatives of the four-member countries have met periodically since.
US coordinator for the Indo-Pacific region Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday at an event hosted by the Asia Society think tank.
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The diplomatic and military arrangement between the four nations was viewed as a response to the increased Chinese economic and military power. As its response, the Chinese government to the Quadrilateral dialogue issued formal diplomatic protests to its members.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the first summit this year was a virtual one it was attended by US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
According to a Reuters report, PM Modi said the Quad has come of age and its agenda covering areas like vaccines, climate change, and emerging technologies makes it a force for global good. He had also talked about shared values and promoting a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
“We are united by our democratic values, and our commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Our agenda today covering areas like vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies makes the Quad a force for global good," he was reported as saying by Reuters.
According to media reports, before the first summit meeting the four countries were working to develop a plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to countries in Asia as part of a broader strategy to counter China's influence, and that India had urged the other three countries to invest in its vaccine production capacity. In March 2021, the Quad pledged to respond to the economic and health impacts of COVID-19.