Instinct! The ＂Quartet Summit＂ stated that many contents involved ＂countering China＂ and provoked many criticisms.
[Global Times Comprehensive Report] On the evening of the 24th, Biden left Tokyo, Japan, ending his first trip to Asia since he took office as US president. Earlier in the day, the United States, Japan, Australia and India held a meeting of leaders of the "Quad(Quadrilateral Security Dialogue)" and issued a joint statement declaring that they would continue to deal with the "challenges" faced by the rules-based maritime order, including "in the East China Sea and the South China Sea" and "strongly oppose any actions that try to change the regional status QUAD and escalate tensions". These remarks were interpreted by foreign media as "warning China". "Please ask the countries concerned not to wear colored glasses and make unfounded accusations." China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stressed at a regular press conference on the 24th that the only real threat to build a peaceful, stable and cooperative marine order is to stir up camp opposition in small circles. On the same day, QUAD leaders also announced that they would provide at least $50 billion in infrastructure assistance and investment to the Indo-Pacific region within five years, and decided to promote a maritime initiative aimed at cracking down on so-called "illegal fishing" activities. "They are trying to turn this loose organization into a more substantial force to be able to counter China’s growing military and economic strength." Agence France-Presse commented. However, according to experts on international issues interviewed by Global Times on 24th, although there are close relations among some member countries within QUAD, it remains to be seen what substantive actions the mechanism will take next, given that they will face some new challenges. China was not mentioned directly in the joint statement,Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post quoted experts as saying on 24th that Biden may also realize that Asia-Pacific countries are not interested in "stimulating China" and turning QUAD into "the Asian version of NATO".
QUAD announced that it will provide $50 billion for infrastructure development in India and Pacific.
According to Japan’s "Yomiuri Shimbun" reported on the 24th, this is the second face-to-face meeting of QUAD leaders since last September. If the video conference is included, this is the fourth summit of QUAD. "Staring at China, QUAD opposes’ changing the status quo by force’." Agence France-Presse reported on the 24th that Japanese Prime Minister kishida fumio claimed at the meeting: "In view of the fact that Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken the basic principles of the international order … we confirm that attempts to change the status quo by force are not allowed anywhere, especially in Indo-Pacific." According to the minutes of the talks released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kishida expressed "serious concern" about the situation of "unilaterally changing the status quo" in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
On the evening of 24th, Liu Jinsong, Director of the Asian Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, made an urgent meeting with Shi Xiong, Chief Minister of the Japanese Embassy in China, and made solemn representations on Japan’s negative and wrong words and deeds related to China in the Japan-US leaders’ meeting, the Japan-US joint statement and the "Quad(Quadrilateral Security Dialogue)" leaders’ meeting, expressing strong dissatisfaction and serious concern.
The joint statement issued by QUAD leaders on 24th mentioned "militarization activities in disputed areas, dangerous use of marine police vessels and maritime militia, and interference with marine resources development activities of other countries", calling them "coercive, provocative or unilateral actions to try to change the regional status quo and escalate tensions". Agence France-Presse said that these contents pointed to China.
"China has always actively safeguarded the international system with the United Nations at the core and the international order based on international law." Wang Wenbin responded on the 24th that China, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other important maritime conventions, has always actively fulfilled its obligations under international law.
Some cooperation plans announced by QUAD leaders on 24th are also considered to be related to "countering China". They will provide at least $50 billion in infrastructure assistance and investment to the Indo-Pacific region within five years, which AFP believes is related to China’s recent strengthening of relations with Pacific countries. According to Kyodo News, QUAD leaders reached an agreement on debt support for developing countries "considering China’s Belt and Road Initiative". In addition, the four countries agreed to launch a maritime initiative to monitor and track "illegal fishing". Long Weixian, a researcher at the Hudson Institute in the United States, said that the plan involves sharing marine information and providing satellite data to regional countries.
"The China factor is the core of the QUAD leaders’ meeting", the BBC said on 24th that Kugelman, deputy director of woodrow wilson international center for scholars, said that QUAD would focus more on its "main task"-ensuring "the freedom and opening up of the Indo-Pacific region" as the COVID-19 epidemic has lasted for more than two years and considering India’s more moderate stance towards Russia.
Biden’s embarrassment in front of Modi
Visiting Japan and attending the QUAD leaders’ meeting is albanese’s "diplomatic debut" after he became Australian Prime Minister, so his performance has attracted much attention. According to Reuters, albanese said at the meeting on 24th that his goal was consistent with QUAD’s priorities.
Hong Kong’s "Asia Times" said on the 24th that the "urgent challenge" that albanese and Australian Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian are facing is how to ensure the continuity and certainty of their policies to their allies and partners. The United States will assess its expectations of what the Australian government led by the Labor Party is prepared to do for QUAD and Ocuss. On the 23rd, when talking about Australia-China relations, albanese said that it was still "difficult", but he said that national security issues would not be politicized.
India’s role in QUAD, which pursues the "non-alignment" policy, has always been the focus of international public opinion. Due to the conflict between China and India in border areas in recent years, some foreign media often exaggerate that the United States, Japan, Australia and India can find common ground on the issue of "dealing with China". According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the United States, Japan and Australia want to win over India by emphasizing the "free and open Indo-Pacific" and enhance their awareness of the "security threats" of China and Russia. However, the Los Angeles Times described India as a "limited partner" of the United States. Tellis, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an American think tank, said that India has always hated alliance-like relations, and the idea of "not joining any camp" is rooted in the country’s concept. In an interview with BBC, Kugelman mentioned that India and China are partners in some multilateral forums, including BRICS countries.
Different attitudes towards Russia highlight the "temperature difference" between India and western countries in some international affairs. Japan’s Asahi Shimbun said that the joint statement did not criticize Russia by name because it wanted to give priority to showing unity and "taking care" of India. However, an embarrassing moment on the 24th exposed the flaw of the so-called "unity". "Biden talked about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and Modi didn’t mention anything about it." CNN said on the 24th that at the joint press conference held before the bilateral talks that day, Biden claimed that he would "closely consult" with Indian Prime Minister Modi on how to reduce the negative impact of the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict. Although Modi praised the US-India relationship as a "trustworthy partnership", he did not mention the Russian-Ukrainian issue.
CNN described that the two men sat face to face after speaking, waiting for the media to take pictures. Soon a reporter asked Biden: "Will you urge Prime Minister Modi to take a tougher stance toward Russia?" Another reporter then asked: "Did you ask Modi to get rid of his dependence on Russian oil?" Neither of the two leaders answered. A moment later, Biden shrugged his eyebrows and looked at Modi with a wry smile and said, "Welcome to the American media world."
"Always susceptible to differences"
On 24th, South China Morning Post quoted Liang Yamaguchi, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Tokyo, as saying that some practices in India have made the outside world question the degree of solidarity of QUAD, and exposed the limitations of this mechanism in dealing with international security issues. It is more like a "loosely structured mechanism for discussing and promoting regional security and economic issues" and is always susceptible to differences.
Lv Xiang, a researcher at the American Institute of China Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with the Global Times on the 24th that although some members of QUAD are closely related, the mechanism is currently in a "political stance stage" in view of the new challenges they will face. "We are more concerned about what practical actions the four countries will take next, and if they touch the Chinese red line, we will definitely fight back".
"American Asia-Pacific allies generally choose to cooperate with China in economy and trade and rely on the United States in security, but from the current situation, the United States is seeking to break this pattern and try to make its Asia-Pacific allies also rely on the United States economically." Zhufeng, executive dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, told the Global Times reporter on the 24th. However, an article in Time magazine on the 23rd said that in the eyes of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the promise made by the United States is likely to change with the coming of the next general election.
On the 24th, another news received much attention. China’s Ministry of National Defense said that according to the annual military cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian armed forces, the air forces of the two countries organized a routine joint air strategic cruise over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean on the 24th. British Reuters quoted the statement of Russian Defense Ministry as saying that Russian Tu -95 strategic bomber and China H -6 bomber were involved. In the meantime, both Japan and South Korea dispatched military aircraft to track.
This is the fourth joint air strategic cruise carried out by the Chinese and Russian air forces. Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times on 24th that this is an annual routine and planned action arrangement between China and Russia, which aims to strengthen the ability of maintaining regional peace and stability, and does not threaten the security of other countries. However, the Japanese defense minister called this move "provocative", and it was totally a sinister move.
[Special correspondent of Global Times in Japan and Singapore Yue Linyi Xin Bin Global Times reporter Xing Xiaotong Guo Yuandan Wan Hengyi Liu Xin Ma Fang]
Reporting/feedback