Indo Pacific Ties

The foreign ministers of Quad countries on Friday reaffirmed the grouping's commitment for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and said it strongly supports the principles of rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes. The Quad foreign ministers carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in the Indo-Pacific at a meeting presided over by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australia's Penny Wong. The meeting came in the backdrop of growing global concerns over increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region. "Our meeting today reaffirms the Quad's steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient," a joint statement said. "We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of

A former Indian commerce secretary, under condition of anonymity, said India might have consciously decided to participate as an observer since it might not be ready for this agreement right now

The framework has 13 members including Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

Construction on the tiny island of Kanton would offer China a foothold deep in territory that had been firmly aligned to the US.

Asserting that America's Indo-Pacific pivot is in full swing under Biden admin, experts believe that Quad summit at White House next week is a natural culmination of a process restarted in 2017

US on Tuesday said it supports India's emergence as a leading global power and a vital partner in efforts to ensure that strategic Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity

India looks forward to continuing its engagements with the Pacific Alliance, said the MEA on the 10th anniversary of the alliance

India and France explored ways to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including under a trilateral mechanism with Australia to address emerging challenges in the maritime and space domains.

Commenting on India''s ties with the US, Menon and Ranade emphasised that it is a critical relationship

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region