Quad ambassadors hold rare public meeting in Beijing

Ambassadors of the Quad nations, the United States, India, Australia and Japan, held an unusual publicly acknowledged meeting in Beijing, underscoring the grouping’s continued coordination despite China’s long-standing criticism of the alliance.

The meeting took place on Tuesday at the US Embassy in Beijing and was disclosed by the American Ambassador to China, David Perdue, who shared a photograph of the four envoys on social media. India was represented by its Ambassador to China, Pradeep Kumar Rawat, alongside his counterparts from Australia and Japan.

“The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a force for good in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Perdue said, adding that relations among the four countries “continue to be stable and strong”.

Publicised Quad engagements in Beijing are rare, given China’s consistent opposition to the grouping, which it views as a strategic bloc aimed at countering its influence in the region. The Indian Embassy in Beijing has not commented on the meeting so far.

China has not officially reacted to the ambassadors’ gathering. In the past, however, Beijing has criticised the Quad for what it describes as “group politics” and “bloc confrontation”. Responding earlier this year to a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated that China opposes cooperation frameworks that target third parties.

“Engaging in group politics and bloc confrontation will not bring lasting peace and security, and is not conducive to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world,” she had said.

The Quad, which has gained prominence in recent years, positions itself as a partnership focused on regional stability, rule of law and cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, even as China continues to view it with suspicion.

With PTI inputs