‘Abandon Narrow-Minded Geopolitical Rivalry Concept’: China Slams Upcoming In-Person Quad Summit

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that cooperation between the countries “should not target any third party or harm their interests”.

US President Joe Biden (File Photo)

Beijing: Slamming the upcoming first-ever in-person Quad summit to be hosted by US President Joe Biden, China on Tuesday said the formation of cliques targeting other countries “won’t be popular” and has “no future”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that cooperation between the countries “should not target any third party or harm their interests”.

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“China believes that any regional cooperation framework should go with the trend of the times and be conducive to mutual trust and cooperation between the regional countries. It should not target any third party or harm their interests,” Lijian said.

“To form exclusive cliques targeting other countries does not conform with the country’s aspirations, won't be popular and has no future,” he added, PTI reported.

Lijian stressed that “China is not only an engine for economic growth in Asia Pacific, it is also the main force safeguarding peace”.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman further said his country’s growth is an increase in “forces for peace” in the world and “good news” for the region.

“Relevant countries should abandon the obsolete Cold War mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical rivalry concept and view correctly and respect people's aspiration in the region and do more things conducive to regional solidarity and cooperation,” he said.

The US President would host the first in-person Quad Summit in Washington on September 24.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga will attend the summit, which will take place amid China’s aggressive behaviour in the resource-rich South China Sea.

Sending a subtle message to China, the US President earlier in March this year hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that vowed to strive for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, anchored by democratic values and unconstrained by coercion.