Quad countries attack China without naming it

Leaders of the Quad countries, an informal alliance between Australia, India, Japan and the United States, criticized China without naming it during the G7 summit in Hiroshima (Japan) on Saturday.

US President Joe Biden and the other three Quad leaders did not explicitly mention China, but the Asian giant was clearly aiming for “peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime region” in a statement.

“We strongly oppose destabilization or unilateral action aimed at changing the status quo by force or coercion.” ,

“We express our deep concern over the militarization of disputed areas, the dangerous use of military or coast guard vessels, and attempts to destabilize offshore resource exploitation activities of other countries,” the text further said. Harassing ships in waters claimed by Beijing, including the South China Sea.

The leaders of the Quad met on the sidelines of a summit of the G7 countries (the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Italy).

The Quad countries have also come out in favor of developing infrastructure projects in the Asia-Pacific region, provided they do not impose very heavy debts on the beneficiary countries, another indication of the criticism leveled against China-funded development projects in the Asia-Pacific region. .

Projects defended by the Quad include the development of submarine cable networks in the Indo-Pacific region or aid in the fight against illegal fishing.

The Quad leaders also said they were “extremely concerned” by the actions taken by Myanmar’s ruling military junta and condemned North Korea’s continued missile launches and nuclear program.