Quad foreign officials meet in Washington in response to Trump’s China stance By Reuters

Posted by David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis (JO:) and Alasdair Pal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States, Australia, India and Japan are set to work together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of top diplomats from the “Quad” group to deal with China since President Donald Trump’s return White House.

In a joint statement after talks in Washington, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first day in office, the four countries said officials would meet regularly to prepare for the upcoming leaders’ summit in India, which expected this year.

The four countries share concerns about China’s growing power and analysts say the meeting is designed to signal that reckoning with Beijing is a priority for Trump, who began his second term in office on Monday.

Rubio earlier said he would emphasize the importance of working with allies “on things that matter to America and Americans” during the conference.

He posed with Penny Wong of Australia, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan in front of their national flags before the meeting at the State Department, but did not answer questions from reporters.

“It is significant that the Quad (a meeting of foreign ministers) took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration,” Jaishankar told X after the meeting.

“This highlights the importance it has in the foreign policy of the member states.”

The four nations fulfilled their “shared commitment to foster a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and protected,” the joint statement said.

“We also strongly oppose any independent actions that seek to change the situation by force or force,” it said, referring to China’s threat to act on its sovereignty claims over ‘a democratic Taiwan.

That includes the East China Sea, where Japan is locked in a territorial dispute with China, and the South China Sea, the Japanese government said in a recent statement.

Iwaya also raised concerns about North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development at the meeting and asked for help in resolving the dispute with Pyongyang over the past abduction of Japanese by North Korea.

In a separate bilateral meeting, Iwaya told Rubio and Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, that Japan had no choice but to continue to strengthen its defense capabilities based on the situation. of defense in East Asia, Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Toshihiro Kitamura told a news conference.

Japan is building its largest military since World War II with plans to double defense spending by 2027. Trump’s return has put pressure on Washington’s expectations it is up to the allies to continue increasing defense spending.

Iwaya also asked Rubio to create an environment where Japanese businesses can invest without worry, he added.

Former US President Joe Biden this month blocked Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid for US Steel, citing national security concerns, prompting concerns from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other officials who We are sorry and have raised concerns about future investments in the US.

Japan hopes to schedule a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Ishiba sometime in February or March, Kitamura said.

Rubio also met separately with Wong and Jaishankar.

Australia’s main goal was to get assurances from Washington about the massive AUKUS defense project, which is designed to allow Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines and other weapons. advanced ones like hypersonic missiles, which Trump has not talked about publicly.

Australian Foreign Minister Wong told a news conference in Washington that he had a “very good conversation” with Rubio about AUKUS.

Wong and Rubio discussed efforts to advance bilateral security cooperation, AUKUS, as well as precious minerals and global security of supply, a State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce said in a statement after the meeting.

“The Secretary and the Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the long-term US-Australia Alliance as a foundation for international security and prosperity, and for a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region without pressure,” he said. said so.

Wong added that there is “great hope and optimism about the opportunities ahead”.

China has criticized the Quad as a Cold War construct and says the AUKUS alliance will boost the regional arms race.

Trump officials were working to schedule another meeting of foreign ministers at the White House, said a person involved in the planning discussions.

The Quad group has met several times during the administration of former President Joe Biden, focusing on Beijing’s military and economic activities in the Indo-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea where US allies have withdrawn against Beijing area charges.

The group also pledged to advance cybersecurity cooperation to protect supply chains and critical infrastructure, including undersea cables.