Quad leaders to meet on sidelines of G7: White House

Leaders of the United States, Japan, Australia and India will hold talks on the sidelines of the G7 on Saturday, the White House said, after discussions in Sydney were cancelled.

The Quad had been due to meet next week after the G7, but the plan was dropped after US President Joe Biden cut short his Asia trip because of debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

“Tomorrow, in addition to the G7, President Biden will participate in the third in-person Quad Leaders’ meeting,” the White House said in a statement Friday.

“Along with sharing strategic assessments, the leaders will welcome new forms of Quad cooperation on secure digital technology, submarine cables, infrastructure capacity building, and maritime domain awareness,” the statement added.

Biden had been due to travel from Hiroshima to Papua New Guinea for a historic trip, before continuing to Australia.

But with warnings Washington could face a catastrophic default on its debts by June 1, he opted to return home after the Japan leg of the trip.

The Quad alliance positions itself as a bulwark against China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region under President Xi Jinping.

Members deny hostile intentions towards Beijing however, and stress that they are not a military alliance.

Still, China has described the grouping as an attempt to encircle it.

The last Quad meeting was held in Japan in 2022.