JAPAN: The Quadrilateral Group (commonly known as the Quad Group), including Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, held a conference in Hiroshima on Saturday to address Beijing’s actions. They asked for “peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain,” even though they did not specifically mention China by name.
The statement used diplomatic language that seemed to refer to China’s economic strategies to acquire power over poorer countries as well as its military expansion in the Pacific. “We strongly oppose destabilising or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the statement read.
The statement continued, “We express serious concern at the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coastguard and maritime militia vessels, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities obviously alluding to Chinese construction of bases on former offshore reefs and the harassment of non-Chinese vessels in disputed waters.”
The Group of Seven and Quad leaders met in Hiroshima for a summit. Biden withdrew due to having to go back to Washington from Japan on Sunday to engage in talks with Republican opponents about raising the US debt ceiling. The visit was planned to take place in Sydney, but Biden withdrew due to having to go back to Washington.
Albanese has been asked to visit the White House on a state visit by Biden, who has apologized for imposing a modification in the original arrangements. Albanese’s statement emphasises the Quad’s support for infrastructure upgrades throughout the Asia-Pacific region while adding that they would not “impose unsustainable debt burdens” on the beneficiaries.
Quad leaders launched a collaboration to support quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific and expanded a pilot initiative to monitor illegal fishing. They expressed concern about oppression in Myanmar and denounced North Korea for violating UN Security Council resolutions.
At the G7, Macron and Meloni attempted to put the past behind them after a French official criticised Rome for handling an inflow of refugees poorly. Darmanin, the interior minister, claimed that Meloni had misled people into believing her government could stop the migrant crisis. Rome demanded an apology in response.
The two presidents met at the G7 on Saturday, with Macron asking about the floods in Meloni’s nation. They discussed Tunisia, migration, and Ukraine, and there was a lot of debate on crucial issues, particularly Ukraine and Tunisia.
Meloni and Macron agreed that Tunisia needed financial assistance to stabilise the situation and stop the influx of migrants, and Meloni argued that France and Italy share common interests.
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