The Quad is a partnership among “like-minded” countries and is not ‘designed’ to be a security alliance, said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who argued that even China is welcome to contribute to the objective of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Addressing journalists after his return from the U.S. where a security alliance consisting of the U.S., the U.K. and Australia — AUKUS — was launched, Mr. Morrison said members of the Quad are not in the business of containing China.
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“Our objective of working together is to ensure that we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and everybody who wants to participate in that, including China, is a welcome partner in that cause. I, we, don’t rally want to see the region in such binary terms,” said Mr. Morrison to a question that had raised critical comments made by certain Chinese officials about the Quad.
The Quad, said the Australian leader, is certainly aimed at deterring any challenge that disturbs peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region or “in any way seeks to limit” the sovereignty of nearby countries. He said such a perspective is probably also shared by China and India.
“We are not in the containment club when it comes to China. We have greatly benefited from their economic development, and they have been very successful indeed as India has, in taking millions, hundreds of millions of people out of poverty,” said Mr. Morrison.
Australia, he said, does not believe in creating a balance between India and China and instead he highlighted that Canberra’s role in Indo-Pacific and in the Quad is “very positive”.
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The comments contributed to an ongoing debate about the nature of Quad which following the first leaders summit in Washington DC on September 24 has seen a lesser focus on a possible security cooperation and emphasis on handling the pandemic and climate change. Prime Minister Morrison emphasised the Quad will also play a role in critical and emerging technologies and exploration of rare earth minerals that are necessary for such technologies and said, “...The Quad is not an alliance, it’s not a formal alliance, it’s not designed to be an alliance.”
