“Between the Lines: Interpreting the Hidden Antagonism of the Quad Countries towards China”
Quad Countries Deliver Implicit Criticism of China’s Actions
Leaders from Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, known as the Quad group, made a strong statement implicitly targeting China’s behavior during a summit in Hiroshima. While not mentioning China by name, the joint statement emphasized the need for “peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain.” The language used in the statement directly addressed China’s economic tactics and military expansion, expressing opposition to destabilizing actions and concerns over the militarization of disputed areas and harassment of non-Chinese vessels in contested waters.
The Quad leaders convened their meeting in Hiroshima alongside a Group of 7 summit. Originally planned to take place in Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had to host the gathering without US President Joe Biden, who returned to Washington for urgent negotiations on the US debt ceiling. Biden apologized for the change and extended an invitation to Albanese for a state visit to the White House.
The Quad’s statement highlighted their support for infrastructure development in the Asia-Pacific region while emphasizing the importance of sustainable investments that do not burden recipient countries with unsustainable debt. They also announced a partnership to enhance undersea cable networks, recognized as crucial for global growth and prosperity. Additionally, the leaders expanded an existing program for high-tech monitoring of illegal fishing and expressed deep concerns about the situation in Myanmar and condemned North Korea’s actions in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
