QUAD foreign ministers and Japan PM meets in Tokyo
Foreign ministers of India, US, Japan, and Australia are meeting in Tokyo to discuss a free and open Indo-Pacific in Tokyo on Tuesday despite pandemic amid China’s disputed moves in the region.
This is only the second time that the Quad meeting is being held at the ministerial level. The first ministerial meeting of the Quad was held last year in September in New York. The elevation of the talks to the ministerial level happened two years after the idea of Quad being revived.
The US has accused China of hiding true facts about coronavirus, violation of human rights in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the trade talks between the two countries have worsen in the past few months.
Japan is concerned about China’s claim to the Japanese island “Senkaku” called “Diaoyu” in China, in the East China sea.
China’s growing military activities near the Ladakh border have become a matter of security threat for India. Relations between China and Australia have also worsen in the past months.
During the Quad talks, the ministers will discuss the post-COVID-19 international order and the need for a coordinated response to the various challenges emerging from the pandemic. MEA had said that they will also discuss regional issues and collectively affirm the importance of maintaining a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
This meeting is considered to strengthen the ties between the Quad countries and give a regional strategic construct in Indo-Pacific region.
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, posted about the visit on Twitter.
