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\u201cThis is a good initiative because it will signal to China that it cannot take its presence in the South Pacific for granted. By deepening their engagement with Fiji and with their united presence, the Quad countries will try to blunt China\u2019s influence which is increasing by the day and offer an alternative to Chinese investments,\u201d according to Chintamani Mahapatra, chairman of the Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies in New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group did not mention China by name, but a joint statement issued at the end of the Quad meeting said it remained \u201cseriously concerned\u201d about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement also criticized \u201cdangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels\u201d and the \u201cramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea.\u201d It expressed serious concern \u201cby the militarization of disputed features\u201d in the waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Quad partners often accuse China of flexing its military muscles and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, has built military facilities on contested features and has disputes with several Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, who also claim parts of the waters. China and Japan have a separate dispute over territory in the East China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysts said the recent meeting will inject momentum into the Quad group which was seen as a counterweight to growing Chinese influence and aggression in the Asia-Pacific region, but which critics said was losing momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calling the Quad a partnership of action, Rubio said \u201cWe are beginning to show real achievements and real accomplishments. We are deeply committed to this partnership. It is a linchpin and a cornerstone of our global strategy as a nation in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analyst Mahapatra said the recent meeting demonstrated that the Trump administration remains invested in the grouping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Quad was perceived by many as a group losing steam but this meeting in Delhi indicated that the Quad is not dead,\u201d according to Mahapatra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWithout confronting China, these initiatives will signal that countermeasures are being taken so that Chinese hegemony should not be established in the Indo Pacific,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China, which criticizes the Quad as a Cold War-style bloc reiterated its opposition to the group following the foreign ministers\u2019 meeting in New Delhi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response to a question about the Quad initiatives, Beijing said that cooperation among countries should promote regional peace and stability and not target third parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe do not support forming exclusive small groupings or bloc confrontation. Any cooperation should not undermine mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries,\u201d Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Quad also agreed to launch an initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security and a critical minerals framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The announcement to build port infrastructure in Fiji comes amid China\u2019s deepening ties with the South Pacific island, which straddles vital sea lanes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":120823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":45,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[45,160,11,16,36,19],"tags":[8592,8602,8594],"coauthors":[3770],"class_list":["post-73040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-daily-news-roundup","category-global","category-naval","category-newsletters","category-pentagon","tag-china","tag-india","tag-japan"],"acf":{"subheadline":"With port infrastructure development in Fiji, Quad will try to blunt China\u2019s growing influence in the South Pacific.","legacy_arc_id":"TQCPSZJIBNF4HKVFCCK4LPGP6E","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/asia-pacific\/2026\/05\/29\/quad-nations-step-up-indo-pacific-push-with-new-initiatives\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n