US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will receive foreign ministers from India, Australia, and Japan on July 1, with a focus on bolstering the Quad alliance and reaffirming a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the State Department announced Thursday.
This summit comes on the heels of Rubio’s first diplomatic foray in January, in which he hosted the China-centric Quadrilateral Security Dialogue one day after President Donald Trump began his second term. “This summit builds on that momentum to advance a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific,” said Deputy State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott. “This is what American leadership looks like: strength, peace, and prosperity.”
In the talks in January, Quad ministers reiterated their resolve for closer collaboration and committed themselves to meet at regular intervals as a lead-up to a pending leaders’ summit in India this year.
The four member states Australia, India, Japan, and the United States all have strategic interests in pushing back against China’s growing power. The January gathering was interpreted by analysts as an early indicator that pushback against Beijing is still a top priority for Trump’s administration. But the administration’s attention has waned in the past several months with the continuation of Middle Eastern conflicts and persistent trouble in ending the war in Ukraine. Trump’s hawkish tariff stance has also generated trade tensions even within allied Quad countries.
Additional tension this week arose when the Australian and Japanese prime ministers, and other Indo-Pacific allies, chose not to participate in the NATO summit in Europe, casting doubt on unity within regional alliances. Question.
Japan cancelled its ministerial-level talks with US State and Defense departments annually, reported the Financial Times, after Washington urged Tokyo to sharply boost its defense spending. The demand is said to have been made by Pentagon staffer Elbridge Colby, whose own recent assessment of Australia’s nuclear submarine program also has caused tensions with Canberra.
In spite of such tensions, the forthcoming Quad summit seeks to reiterate mutual commitment to regional stability and cooperation.
