White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, ‘The leaders will discuss opportunities to deepen our vital security relationships, enhance economic ties and expand our close cooperation to deliver practical results’
PM Modi and Joe Biden meet in September 2021 at White House – Twitter/@PMOIndia
Washington: US President Joe Biden will travel to South Korea and Japan in May and attend the QUAD summit in Tokyo, during which he will also meet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House has said.
Biden’s trip to South Korea and Japan has been scheduled for 20 to 24 May.
“This trip will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s rock-solid commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
Biden will also hold bilateral meetings with South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan.
“The leaders will discuss opportunities to deepen our vital security relationships, enhance economic ties and expand our close cooperation to deliver practical results. In Tokyo, President Biden will also meet the leaders of the Quad grouping of Australia, Japan, India and the United States. We look forward to having further details to share about this trip soon,” Psaki said.
What is QUAD?
Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, India, Japan, Australia, and the US created an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts. In 2007, the then Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, formalised the alliance, as QUAD.
QUAD or ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ is an informal strategic four that comprises of four nations – India, United States (US), Australia and Japan. One of the main objects of QUAD is to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. It is also basically seen as a strategic grouping to reduce Chinese domination.
In 2017, after facing a threat from, the QUAD broadened its objectives by creating a mechanism that determined to establish a rules-based international order.
However, in 2008, Australia left the group, and in 2020, India-US-Japan did their first joint Malabar naval exercise by including Australia again.
QUAD: Objectives and principles
– There has to be strategic and significant sea routes in the Indo-Pacific region which should be free from any influence
– Secure a rules-based global order, a trading system that be liberal, and also there should be freedom of navigation
– Work against predatory trade as well as economic policies
– Provide financial assistance to the countries with debt in the Indo-Pacific region.
Inputs from PTI
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