Australia PM Anthony Albanese not China’s man, swears by Quad

New Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday pitched for climate change and said his goals were aligned with the priorities of the Quad grouping of countries, telling the leaders of the United States, India and Japan that he wanted to also discuss climate change.

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Albanese, the leader of Australia’s Labor Party who was sworn in as his country’s 31st prime minister a day earlier, also said the Quad stood together for a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.

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The informal grouping of countries, led by the United States, was set up as a potential bulwark against China’s increasing political, commercial and military activity in the Indo-Pacific.

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Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in his opening remarks, said the Russian invasion of Ukraine represented a “frontal challenge” to the principles of the UN Charter and similar things should never be allowed to happen in the Indo-Pacific.

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Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of the United States, Japan and Australia attended the second in-person meeting of Quad leaders in Tokyo on Tuesday. PM Modi, in his opening remarks said the mutual trust, and determination of the member countries is giving new energy and enthusiasm to democratic powers.

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Besides PM Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida and Anthony Albanese are participating in the Quad summit.

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PM Modi will also hold separate bilateral meetings with Biden, Kishida and Albanese on the sidelines of the summit.