In China strategy, Biden to meet with leaders of Australia, India, Japan

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet on Friday with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan, a group central to his efforts to counter China’s growing military and economic power.

The White House said the virtual meeting of the countries known as the Quad would show the importance Biden placed on the Indo-Pacific region and focus on ways to fight the coronavirus, cooperate on economic growth and the climate crisis.

India and Australia have emphasized the importance of regional security cooperation, which has been boosted by previous lower-level meetings of the four countries.

A senior Biden administration official told Reuters the meeting would announce financing agreements to support an increase in manufacturing capacity for coronavirus vaccines in India, something New Delhi has urged to counter China’s widening vaccine diplomacy.

The United States wants to strengthen ties with allies and partners as China adopts an increasingly assertive foreign policy in Asia and beyond. Washington says the additional vaccine capacity will be used in vaccination efforts in Southeast Asia, where Beijing is competing for influence.

The virtual meeting between Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will aim to lay the groundwork for an in-person meeting later this year, the administration said.

Among the issues to be addressed are supply chains exposed as heavily reliant on China during the pandemic.