Amid China's opposition to Quad, Jaishankar says certain countries need to get over idea that others 'doing things directed against them'
Jul 28, 2021
New Delhi [India], July 28 : Amid China's opposition to the Quad grouping, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that certain countries should get over the idea that "other countries are doing things that are directed against them".
Addressing a joint presser with the US counterpart Antony Blinken, who is on a two-day India visit, Jaishankar said: "In a globalised world India has interests that are far beyond its immediate neighbours. People need to get over ideas that somehow other countries doing things is directed against them. Countries do things that are in their interests for their good and the good of the word and that is exactly the case with the Quad."
Jaishankar's remarks come amid opposition of China to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal strategic alliance involving the United States, India, Japan, and Australia. Beijing has described Quad as "a military alliance aimed against China's resurgence" in South Asia.
China on several occasions has opposed the Quad alliance and has asked Washington to refrain from making "troubles out of nothing" and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, Russia has also expressed its discontent over Quad. In December 2020, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Quad was a "divisive" and "exclusivist" tool, which was being used by the US to implement its "devious policy" of engaging New Delhi in games against China
When Blinken was asked about Quad on Wednesday, he clarified that it is not a military alliance.
The purpose of the alliance is to advance cooperation on regional challenges while reinforcing international rules and values that we believe together underpin peace, prosperity, stability in the region, clarified Blinken.
"It's quite simple but as important. Four like-minded countries (US, India, Japan and Australia) coming together to work on some of the most important issues of the time that are going to have a real impact on the lives of the people and do in a way that ensures a free and open Indo-Pacific," he said.
