US Wants To Expand Quad To Stop China’s Interference, Needs To Contact ASEAN Countries

New Delhi : US wants to expand the current form of the quad. US Deputy Foreign Minister Stephen Biegun gave a clear indication of this at the Indo-US Forum on Monday. He said that groups of India, Australia, Japan and the US could be opened for the support of other countries to support the free and open Indian Pacific region. It is noteworthy that the group of these four countries is known as Quad.

To counter China’s growing regional influence, the US has been insisting on increasing cooperation among the quad countries. Biegun mentioned the quad several times at the Indo US Forum. It is clear that America is serious about strengthening the quad in the Indo-Pacific region. After a bilateral meeting with Biegun, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also said that the two countries share the same vision for the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking at the India-US Forum, Biegun said, the Quad is a partnership based on shared interests. It is not intended to make it a special group. Any country that advocates an independent and open Indo-Pacific region and is willing to take steps to ensure that it is welcomed to work with us.

“We stand with a pluralistic approach which will ensure that the diverse countries of the region including the Quad can flourish as sovereign and prosperous nations in the free and open Indo-Pacific,” Biegun said. He said, our strategic relationships need to reflect the geopolitical realities of today and tomorrow. A lot has changed in the last seventy years, and our own thinking must also develop.

The United States has extended the need for increased interaction between the quad countries at various levels and also the need for contact with ASEAN countries. Significantly, the US Deputy Foreign Minister and India’s Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla started weekly contact with other countries of the Indian Pacific region in March on a strategy to deal with the Covid19 epidemic besides the Quad countries. This was also seen to be linked to the Quad’s expansion drive.

It is necessary to stop increasing interference
The United States clearly believes that there is a need for a comprehensive strategic foothold to stop China’s growing interference in the region. In the meeting held recently, the US and Japan openly expressed concern by openly mentioning China.