US National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Wednesday (local time) that China will definitely be “high on the agenda” at the Quad summit to be hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware on September 21.
Addressing a press conference, Kirby stressed that it would be irresponsible if Quad leaders did not talk about the challenges facing the region owing to China.
When asked to what extent China will be central to the Quad summit, Kirby said, “I think it will certainly be at the top of the agenda. I mean, when you meet with these particular leaders, the Indo-Pacific, the Quad, there’s no occasion where you would really be irresponsible if they didn’t talk about the challenges that still exist in the region because of aggressive PRC military action, unfair trade practices, tensions over the Taiwan Strait. I have no doubt that all of these issues will come up.”
Biden is scheduled to host the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit in Delaware on September 21 and is looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This is the first time Biden will host foreign leaders in his hometown.
When asked if the Quad nations consider China a threat to the Indo-Pacific region, John Kirby said, “I think you have to talk to the leaders about their particular view of the PRC. But, I think we all have a common understanding of the challenges that the PRC poses, but each of them is a sovereign country; they have to decide for themselves what their relationship with the PRC is going to be and what that will look like; each of them has a different relationship with the PRC, including us.”
John Kirby said Biden will meet the Quad leaders individually and will also meet the four together in a large plenary session where they will discuss enhancing cooperation on a variety of important issues.
Speaking about the upcoming Quad summit, he said, “The President will meet with each of them individually, and then we will also meet together in a larger plenary session where they will discuss enhancing cooperation on a number of important issues. We believe you will come out of this summit and see that the Quad is more strategically aligned and more relevant than ever before.”
“I think you can expect a robust agenda aimed at delivering concrete benefits to the people of the region as they all identify priorities such as health, security, natural disaster response, maritime security, quality infrastructure, critical and emerging technologies, climate and clean energy, and cybersecurity. You will also see some announcements that demonstrate our intent to ensure that this special partnership of the Quad continues to thrive and really flourish for the long term. We will have more details to share on specific deliverables as we get closer to the weekend,” he said.
When asked if Biden intends to press PM Modi on the issue of human rights during the bilateral meeting, Kirby replied, “There is not a conversation he has with foreign leaders in which he does not talk about the importance of respecting human and civil rights, and that includes conversations with Prime Minister Modi. He did that when the Prime Minister was here in the United States and I’m sure, when appropriate, he will continue to do so. I won’t take away from the conversation, but he has never shied away from talking about our concerns on human and civil rights anywhere in the world.”
The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. It is worth noting that the Quad foreign ministers have met eight times in recent years and the Quad governments continue to meet and coordinate at all levels.
PM Modi will be in the US from September 21 to 23, during which he will attend the Quad Summit and address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. PM Modi will attend the 4th Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.
Following the US request to host the Quad summit this year, India has agreed to host the next Quad summit in 2025.
A release from the Ministry of External Affairs said that at the Quad Summit, the leaders will review the progress achieved by the Quad over the past year and set the agenda for the coming year to assist countries in the Indo-Pacific region meet their development goals and aspirations.
PM Modi will address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23. The theme of the summit is ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’.
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders and discuss issues of mutual interest. The Prime Minister will address a conference of the Indian community in New York on September 22.
According to a release from the Ministry of External Affairs, he will also interact with CEOs of leading US companies to promote greater cooperation between the two countries. He is also expected to interact with active think tanks and other stakeholders in the India-US bilateral landscape.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
