China blasts US-led first In-person Quad Summit

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that forming closed and exclusive "cliques" targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and deviates from the expectation of regional countries

New Delhi: China on Tuesday slammed the upcoming In-person US-led Quad Summit to be held in Washington D.C.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that forming closed and exclusive "cliques" targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and deviates from the expectation of regional countries.

China's reaction comes hours after the White House announced that US President Joe Biden will host the first in-person summit of leaders of the Quad countries, which is aimed at seeking cooperation in a major attempt to push back China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

Addressing the media, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, "It is China's consistent belief that any regional cooperation mechanism should follow the trend of peace and development, and help promote mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries rather than target the third party or undermine its interests".

"Forming closed and exclusive "cliques" targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and deviates from the expectation of regional countries. It thus wins no support and is doomed to fail", he added.

Beijing has described the Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, in the past as a clique based on a cold war ideology and detrimental to the international order.

The White House on Monday said that hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Spokesperson Lijian further stressed that China is not only a major engine of economic growth in the Asia-Pacific but also a staunch defender of regional peace and stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan and President Joseph R. Biden of the USA, is all set to attend the Leaders’ Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington D.C, USA, on 24 September.

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 25 September this year in New York.

Reacting strongly to the in-person quad summit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson further said, "China's development is a force for world peace and a boon for regional prosperity and development". He added that "relevant countries should discard the outdated zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception, view China's development correctly and respect people's aspirations in the region and do more that is conducive to solidarity and cooperation of regional countries."

Earlier, China had reacted strongly to an online meeting of the Quad leaders in March, saying that it will end up nowhere if it does not abandon its ideological bias and cold war mentality, underscoring its opposition to the bloc.

The online summit attended by the quad leaders was highly criticised by China.