The Quad foreign ministers of the U.S., Japan, Australia and India met in Tokyo today, and contrary to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s predictions ahead of the meeting, they, at least so far, have failed to produce “some significant announcements” regarding China. According to the State Department readout of their meeting, they discussed enhancing cooperation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery, and on maritime security, cybersecurity and data flows, quality infrastructure, counterterrorism and other areas. “The four countries reaffirmed their strong support for ASEAN centrality, sovereignty, and an ASEAN-led regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific,” the readout said. “They pledged to continue regular consultations to advance the vision of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific through engagements among senior officials, subject matter experts, and Ministers.” The ASEAN nations, of course, want nothing to do with Pompeo’s dictates to cut off Chinese investments and cooperation.
In opening remarks as published by the State Department, Pompeo was the only one among the three visiting ministers to denounce China. He claimed that the pandemic “was made infinitely worse by the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup,” to include jailing those who raised alarm bells. “As partners in this Quad, it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the CCP’s exploitation, corruption, and coercion,” Pompeo said. “We’ve seen it in the south, in the East China Sea, the Mekong, the Himalayas, the Taiwan Straits.” Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar both paid lip service to, in the words of Jaishankar, “upholding the rules-based international order underpinned by the rule of law...” but neither of them attacked China by name.
