Wilmington (US): On his first US visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in the US on Saturday, stressed the need for a rules-based international order and respect for sovereignty, in a veiled reference to China.
"Free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific is our priority," Modi said in his opening remarks on Saturday at the summit hosted by President Joe Biden and also attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "We are not against anyone. We all support a rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of all issues," Modi said, without naming any country.
China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.
"Our message is clear -- Quad is here to stay, to assist, to partner and to complement," Modi said. "Together we have taken many positive and inclusive initiatives in areas like health security, critical and emerging technologies, climate change, capacity building," he said.
Glad to have met Quad Leaders during today’s Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. The discussions were fruitful, focusing on how Quad can keep working to further global good. We will keep working together in key sectors like healthcare, technology, climate change and capacity… pic.twitter.com/xVRlg9RYaF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2024
He said that the Quad leaders have gathered at a time when the world is surrounded by tensions and challenges. "At such a time, the working together of Quad with its democratic values is significant for the entire human race," the prime minister said.
Modi recalled the first Quad Summit held in 2021 under Biden's leadership and said, "In such a short time we have expanded our cooperation unprecedentedly in every direction." "I thank you for your steadfast commitment, your leadership, and your contributions to the Quad," he said.
Addressing the Quad Leaders' Summit. https://t.co/fphRgLwLPS
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2024
This was a farewell summit for Biden as he nears the end of his term in office. Modi said he will be happy to host the Quad Summit in 2025. The Quad Leaders' Summit this year was earlier supposed to be held in India, but US President Joe Biden was keen to hold the event in his hometown. The US, Japan, India and Australia had in 2017 given shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the "Quad" or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
The four-member Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, advocates upholding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. China claims that the grouping aims to contain its rise.
Quad leaders' express 'serious concerns' about intimidating maneuvers in South China Sea
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed serious concern about the coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea. In the joint declaration, the leaders from the US, India, Australia, and Japan opposed efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities, and reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law.
"We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including the increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres. We also oppose efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities. We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS," the Quad Wilmington Declaration said.
The leaders asserted that they are of strong conviction that international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, along with the maintenance of peace, safety, security, and stability in the maritime domain, should be kept at the topmost priority.
"We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims," the declaration read.
"We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of UNCLOS and reaffirm that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and the seas must be carried out. We underscore that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties," it further added.
The Quad leaders added that they recommit to working in partnership with Pacific island countries to achieve shared aspirations and address shared challenges. "We remain committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. We strongly support IORA as the Indian Ocean region's premier forum for addressing the region's challenges. We recognize India's leadership in finalizing the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP) and express our support for its implementation. We thank Sri Lanka for its continued leadership as IORA Chair through this year and look forward to India's assuming the IORA Chair in 2025," the declaration said.
The Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting joint statement issued on July 29 this year said that the countries of the bloc were collectively advancing a positive and practical agenda to support the Indo-Pacific region's sustainable development, stability, and prosperity, responding to the region's needs. Amid China's coercive pressure on Taiwan in the wake of the Lai Ching-te winning the presidential polls of the self-governed island and following tensions between China and the Philippines, the Quad foreign ministers had previously said they were "seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas" and reiterated their "strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion."
Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
China testing us, Biden caught telling Quad leaders on hot mic
US President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic telling leaders of the Quad nations that China was testing them, thus reflecting upon the American seriousness of the emerging Chinese threat. "We believe Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimise the turbulence in China," Biden told the leaders at the Summit.
His opening remarks were caught on the hot mic as pool reporters were leaving the Summit venue. Biden was heard saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping is looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China's interest. Biden added that China continues to "behave aggressively, testing us all across the region on several fronts, including on economic and technology issues".
At the same time, we believe intense competition requires intense diplomacy, he said. Later a senior administration official tried to downplay the error.
"I don't think I have much to elaborate on that. It's consistent with what has been said before, and I don't think it'll be much of a surprise that our inside voice matches our outside voice," the official said.
(With agency inputs)
