US Admiral, lawmakers call Quad 'significant initiative' in Indo-Pacific region

A top US admiral and prominent Senators backed President Joe Biden's Quad Security Dialogue initiative, which includes leaders from Australia, India, and Japan, as a major effort to address the challenge posed by China and ensure "peace and stability" in the Indo-Pacific region. While referring to the first Quad summit, Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, emphasised the importance of partnerships for the Biden administration.

US admiral, Senators back President Joe Biden's Quad Security Dialogue initiative

During his confirmation hearing for commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Christopher Aquilino told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a crucial forum for four Indo-Pacific democracies with common concerns. He added that the likelihood will be increased for more collaborative military-to-military activity among the four nations after addressing political, economic, and development opportunities. Aquilino asserted that challenges to the Quad may arise from any nation whose goals are jeopardised by its information-space activities.

Committed to working with allies to achieve stability in the Indo-Pacific region: Biden

On March 12, the Quad nations — the United States, India, Australia, and Japan —  organised their first virtual summit. At the meeting, US President Joe Biden informed coalition leaders that his country is committed to working with its regional partners and allies to achieve stability in the "free and open" Indo-Pacific region. Talking about the US's relationship with China, Aquilino said, for a variety of reasons, Australia's relationship with China has been strained. Australia's opposition to China's "illegal and unfounded territorial and maritime claims" in the sea of South China, as well as its crackdown in Hong Kong and its call for an inquiry into the COVID-19 origin, are just a few examples.

According to Aquilino, the Indo-Pacific is the most important region for the United States' future, and it will continue to be so with China, as the Chinese Communist Party actively tries to overthrow the established rules-based international order. The US lawmakers also lauded the Quad vaccine initiative and the manufacturing of COVID-19 doses in India that could be used to supply other nations.

(Picture Credit: AP)