Pompeo meets ‘Quad group’ in Tokyo to discuss the growing influence of China in the region

 The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, arrived in Japan earlier today to discuss the growing influence of China in the region as he met with ‘Quad’ partners. 

The countries that were part of the ‘Quad meeting’ were Japan, India, Australia, and the US. This meeting was called after all the four countries found China’s interference in the region too assertive and wanted to stand together in tackling China. 

Just hours before leaving the US, Pompeo said that the meeting has been planned for a long time now. 

The last few months have seen the US and China coming aggressively at each other where the US has resorted to banning applications with Chinese connections while China has been opposing the US in almost every world front. 

Through this attempt, Pompeo is looking at boosting ties with the Asian countries in the face-off against China. After the trip to Japan, Pompeo has planned to head to Mongolia and South Korea but will have to return to the US after news of Trump contracting COVID broke. 

The two most important and largest economies in the world are fighting over a range of issues which include Beijing handling the virus, its ambitious attempt to capture the South-China sea, and it taking over Hong Kong. “We’re hoping to have some significant announcements, significant achievements,” Pompeo told reporters before leaving for Tokyo. 

Ahead of the meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told AFP, "We hope relevant countries can proceed from the common interests of countries in the region, and do more things that are conducive to regional peace, stability, and development, not the other way around.”

The Quadrilateral initiative essentially was taken in 2007 when the US, Japan, India, and Australia met in the Philippine capital Manila. This meeting has been fixed after Australia, the US and India have been facing opposition be it trading, border tensions, or taking over autonomous regions, China has been upsetting these nations. 

Experts think that it is very much possible that Quad becomes a formalized organization of the consistency and dedication of these countries. Earlier, India showed a little resistance but since Trump, the US has been a promoter of this group leading India to indulge more in the process.