Eyeing China, Quad leaders expand joint maritime security operations in Indo-Pacific
Summit of leaders from the US, Australia, India and Japan being watched for how the four respond to the more militarily assertive Beijing
Against a backdrop of rising tensions in the South and East China seas, particularly between Chinese and Philippine vessels, deliverables from the summit are being watched closely for how much the four countries intend to push back against a more militarily assertive China.
While none of the leaders referenced China directly in remarks meant for the media, several news outlets reporting from the venue that Biden was apparently heard telling the others, in an audio feed that was not meant for public consumption, that Beijing was “testing” Quad members.
“We believe [Chinese President] Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimize the turbulence in China,” and that Xi is “looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest,” Biden was cited by Bloomberg as saying on a hot mic.
“China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region” on several fronts, “including on economic and technology issues,” Biden added, according to that report. “At the same time, we believe intense competition requires intense diplomacy.”
