'Quad' Leaders to meet today

(News 1st): The Leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia are due to meet today (23) for their first in-person summit of the Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, “Quad” grouping. The informal arrangement, which commenced with the countries first working together in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which affected Sri Lanka as well, has increasingly solidified since 2017. It was fueled by consecutive U.S. administration’s policies towards China, and aided in no small part by individual tensions between Tokyo, Canberra, New Delhi with Beijing. Quad meetings in recent years have gradually worked their way up in the chain of command, with the grouping holding its first virtual summit in March. Following the summit in March, the quartet released a joint statement promoting “a free, open rules-based order”, pledging to combine “medical, scientific, financing, manufacturing and delivery” capacity for COVID-19 vaccines, and combating climate change. It also announced the creation of working groups on “critical and emerging” technologies, with 5G infrastructure investment and semiconductor supply chain issues expected to be addressed going forward. Meanwhile, just days before Friday’s Quad summit, the US, Australia and the United Kingdom announced a new Indo-Pacific security pact, AUKUS, that included a deal to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday ruled out the prospect of Japan or India being invited to the security partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet one-on-one with Biden on Friday prior to the meeting of the four leaders.