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Quad leaders in Washington pledge cooperation on coronavirus vaccines, tech, climate change
- Biden, Modi, Suga and Morrison pledge to make cyberspace and emerging technologies ‘trusted and secure’
- Student exchange programme also made a priority during first in-person meeting of the alliance
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Leaders of the “Quad” alliance comprising the United States, India, Japan and Australia convened at the White House on Friday to pledge cooperation on coronavirus vaccine distribution, advanced technologies, climate change, and scientific exchanges, the latest move by the US administration in its growing focus on Indo-Pacific alliances that has angered China.
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“We are four major democracies with a long history of cooperation,” US President Joe Biden said in opening remarks ahead of the closed-door meeting. “We know how to get things done, and we are up to the challenge.”
Among the initiatives unveiled was what Biden described as a new “Quad fellowship”, designed to bring to the US students from the three other Quad countries to pursue advanced degrees in STEM programs. “It represents an investment in the leaders, innovators, and pioneers of tomorrow,” he said.
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Attending Friday’s two-hour summit alongside Biden was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
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