Quad leaders made history at summit. Expect pushback from China

 

The Chinese communist party mouthpiece has warned India for joining hands with democratic forces in the Quad.(ANI)

The first summit of Quad leaders, described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘force of global good’, is expected to raise pressure on countries in the Indo-Pacific, particularly China to follow the rule of law and desist from any unilateral show of force in the region, people familiar with the matter said.

US President Joe Biden, joined by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, held the virtual meeting on Friday; their first under the aegis of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad.

While PM Modi has known US President Biden from the days he was vice president in the Barack Obama administration, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was really the untested element on the Quad after his predecessor -- former PM Shinzo Abe had conceived the idea of the security grouping -- stepped down in August last year due to health issues.

“The biggest thing about the Quad summit was that finally, it took place. All the leaders were on the same page and PM Suga firmly indicated that he is a proud successor to Abe’s legacy,” said a former foreign secretary.