The Australian government announced on Monday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Australia in February to meet with colleagues from Japan, India, and Australia to discuss Indo-Pacific coordination.
The foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) will meet for two days in response to the Biden administration’s concerns about China, as tensions with Russia over Ukraine escalate in Europe.
China has previously referred to the Quad as a Cold War-era construct and a clique that is ‘targeting other countries.’
The date for the meet has not been set, but Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement that she looks forward to welcoming the Quad foreign ministers to Australia in the coming weeks.
‘We are a critical network of liberal democracies working together to give our region strategic options, with an emphasis on real ways to strengthen all governments’ resilience and sovereignty,’ Payne added.
She noted that Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government is strengthening Australia’s regional ties in the face of ‘strategic rivalry, threats to the liberal international order, and increased uncertainty.’
Because of pandemic restrictions on international travel, Japanese media had previously reported that the Quad meeting could be held virtually.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s foreign minister, is also expected to attend the same
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