Quad discussions on Hiroshima's G7 sidelines likely after Sydney cancellation
Australia has reportedly canceled the Quad summit in Sydney after United States President Joe Biden withdrew his visit to Papua New Guinea and Sydney over Washington's debt ceiling crisis. Australian PM Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday the leaders of the Quad countries—Australia, India, Japan, and the US—will instead meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit scheduled in Japan's Hiroshima from Friday to Sunday.
Why does this story matter?
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), commonly known as the Quad, is a multilateral strategic security dialog between the four countries promoting an open Indo-Pacific. China reportedly sees the Quad as a challenge to its influence in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific. The Philippines is asserting its sovereignty in the South China Sea's disputed Spratly Islands reportedly to grow closer to the US.
PM Modi to arrive in Japan for G7 summit
Albanese said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive in Sydney next week after the G7 Summit in Japan. He is also likely to visit Papua New Guinea on Monday. Meanwhile, experts say the cancellation of Biden's visit to Papua New Guinea could be a setback for the US, which is engaged in a tug-of-war with China in the South China Sea.
Quad wants to express solidarity with Philippines
India and Australia are not part of the G7. However, both countries have been invited to the summit. Biden's now-canceled visit to Papua New Guinea would have been the first visit by a US president to an independent island nation in the Pacific. The Quad is also looking at avoiding a discouraging message to the Philippines following the cancellation of the discussions.
Philippines asserting sovereignty over region disputed with China
Last week, the Philippines placed five navigational buoys within a 322km radius in its exclusive economic zone to assert its sovereignty over the disputed Spratly Islands. This includes Whitsun Reef, where China launched 200 fishing vessels in 2021. The Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest alleging that the vessels were part of a militia and accused China of attempting to take over the maritime feature.
