The annual Quad summit will take place on September 21 in Delaware.
Washington:
China will certainly be “high on the agenda” at the Quad Summit to be hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the US National Security Council (NSC), said on Wednesday (local time).
Speaking at a press conference, Kirby stressed that it would be irresponsible for Quad leaders not to discuss the challenges China poses to the region.
When asked to what extent China will be a focus of the Quad Summit, Kirby said: “I think it will certainly be high on the agenda. I mean, there is no occasion when you come together with these particular leaders, the Indo-Pacific, Quad, where you would in fact be irresponsible for them not to talk about the challenges that still exist in the region, caused by aggressive military actions by the PRC for example, unfair trade practices, tensions across the Taiwan Strait. I have no doubt that all of those issues will be raised.”
Biden will host the fourth Quad Leaders Summit in Delaware on September 21 and is looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. It will be the first time Biden will host foreign leaders in his hometown.
When asked if Quad countries see China as a threat to the Indo-Pacific region, John Kirby said: “I think you have to talk to the leaders about their particular views on the PRC. But I think we all have a common understanding of the challenges that the PRC poses, but each of them is a sovereign country; they get to decide for themselves what their relationship with the PRC looks like and what that looks like; each of them has a different relationship with the PRC, including us.”
John Kirby said Biden will meet the Quad leaders individually and the four will come together in a larger plenary session, where they will discuss expanding cooperation on several key issues.
Speaking about the upcoming Quad Summit, he said: “The President will meet with each of them individually, and then we will also come together in a larger plenary session where they will discuss expanding cooperation on a range of critically important issues. We believe that you will see from this summit that the Quad is more strategically aligned and more relevant than ever before.”
“I think you can expect a robust agenda focused on delivering concrete benefits for the people of the region as they all identify priorities such as health, security, natural disaster response, maritime safety, quality infrastructure, critical and emerging technologies, climate and clean energy and cybersecurity. You will also see some announcements that demonstrate our intent to ensure that this special partnership, the Quad, endures and even flourishes in the long term. We will of course have more details to share on the specific outcomes as we get closer to the weekend,” he added.
When asked if Biden plans to press Prime Minister Modi on human rights during their bilateral meeting, Kirby said: “There is no conversation he has with foreign leaders where he doesn't talk about the importance of respecting human rights and civil liberties, and that includes Prime Minister Modi. He did that when the Prime Minister was here in the United States and I'm sure he will do that in the future as appropriate. I'm not going to prejudge, but he never shies away from talking about our concerns about human rights and civil liberties around the world.”
Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries: Australia, India, Japan and the United States. It is pertinent to note that Quad foreign ministers have met eight times in the past few years and Quad governments continue to meet and coordinate at all levels.
Prime Minister Modi will be in the United States from September 21 to 23. He will participate in the Quad Summit and address the UN General Assembly's 'Summit of the Future' in New York. Prime Minister Modi will participate in the fourth Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.
Following the US side's request to host the Quad Summit this year, India has agreed to host the next Quad Summit in 2025.
During the Quad Summit, leaders will review the progress made by the Quad over the past year and set the agenda for the year ahead to help countries in the Indo-Pacific region achieve their development goals and aspirations, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release said.
Prime Minister Modi will address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23 at the 'Summit of the Future'. The theme of the summit is 'Multilateral Solutions for a Better Future'.
On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with various world leaders and discuss issues of mutual interest. The Prime Minister will address a gathering of the Indian community in New York on September 22.
He would also interact with CEOs of leading US companies to promote greater collaboration between the two countries, the MEA press release said. He is also expected to interact with thought leaders and other stakeholders active in the India-US bilateral landscape.
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