As members ‘deepen’ alliance, China calls QUAD a US hegemony tool

Melbourne/Beijing: China today attacked the Quad group claiming that the alliance of India, Japan, Australia and the United States, was “essentially a tool for containing and besieging China to maintain US hegemony”.

It may be mentioned that top diplomats of the Quad group opened talks on deepening their alliance in Melbourne today. In a joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan and the Secretary of State of the United States, the group among other things, reiterated the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas. “The Quad recognises that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific…We are determined to deepen engagement with regional partners, including through capacity-building and technical assistance, to strengthen maritime domain awareness; protect their ability to develop offshore resources, consistent with UNCLOS; ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; combat challenges, such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication,” the joint statement said.

China claimed the Quad group aims to stoke confrontation and undermine international solidarity and cooperation. 

“I have expounded on our position on the Quad for many times… I want to stress that as the Cold War is long over, the attempt to forge a so-called alliance to contain China wins no support and leads nowhere,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing. He also said that relevant countries should “abandon the antiquated Cold War mentality, correct the wrong approach of bloc confrontation and geopolitical games, and contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific”.

The joint statement though reaffirmed the Quad’s commitment to supporting Indo Pacific countries’ efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific – a region which is inclusive and resilient, and in which states strive to protect the interests of their people, free from coercion. It  also welcomed the United States’ new exchange programs in the fields of cyber security, maritime security, countering disinformation, and promoting transparency in governance. 

“Our meeting advanced the Quad’s positive and ambitious agenda. We are focused on working closely with Indo-Pacific partners to address the region’s most important challenges. Working together as the Quad, we are more effective in delivering practical support to the region,” it stated.

Quad partners stated they champion the free, open, and inclusive rules-based order, rooted in international law, that protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries.

“We reaffirm our commitment to upholding and strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core. We oppose coercive economic policies and practices that run counter to this system and will work collectively to foster global economic resilience against such actions,” they stated.

The Quad is supporting regional neighbours to build resilience and counter disinformation. “We will also coordinate efforts to assist partners across the Indo-Pacific to address the growing threat of ransomware, by strengthening capacity building to ensure resilient cyber security and to counter cybercrime. We are committed to promoting international peace and stability in cyberspace, and to helping build the capacity of regional countries to implement the UN Voluntary Framework for Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace,” the QUAD members stated.

The Quad further stated it is exchanging information on ever-evolving threats and working with Indo-Pacific countries, and in multilateral fora, to counter all forms of terrorism and violent extremism. While denouncing the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism and urge countries to work together to eliminate terrorist safe havens, it vowed to  disrupt terrorist networks and the infrastructure and financial channels which sustain them; and halt cross-border movement of terrorists. “In this context, we call on all countries to ensure that territory under their control is not used to launch terror attacks and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist attacks in India, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. We reaffirm UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021) that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist acts, with such ungoverned spaces being a direct threat to the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific,” it stated.

The QUAD members also expressed they “grave” concern about the crisis in Myanmar and called for an end to violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including foreigners, and unhindered humanitarian access. They also condemned North Korea’s “destabilising” ballistic missile launches in violation of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). The QUAD members reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea consistent with UNSCRs, and reconfirmed the necessity of immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees.

They further reaffirmed support for ASEAN efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar and called on the military regime to urgently implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and swiftly return Myanmar to the path of democracy. “We encourage the international community to work together to support an end to the violence,” they stated.

“As unwavering supporters of ASEAN unity and centrality, and the ASEAN-led architecture”, the Quad members stated they continue to support ASEAN partners to advance the practical implementation of ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. According to them, the Outlook’s principles are fundamental to regional stability and prosperity and will be key to guiding the region’s economic and political future. “We acknowledge the importance of sub-regional mechanisms and institutions, including in the Mekong sub-region. We will continue to support Cambodia in its important role as 2022 ASEAN Chair,” they stated.

The QUAD group also welcomed progress on the practical cooperation to address regional challenges, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), maritime security, counter-terrorism, countering disinformation and cyber security.

“We are strengthening humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) cooperation in the region. Since 2004, when we collaborated in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, Quad partners have continued to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific. We recognise that recent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the need to build and maintain resilience against such events, and are proud to be supporting our Tongan partners in their response and recovery efforts following the January 2022 volcano eruption and tsunami. We commit to further strengthening our collaboration and building links between our response agencies to provide timely and effective HADR support to the region,” they stated.