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by IANS |
Washington, Feb 14 (IANS) Two senior US senators have urged the Trump Administration to convene a Quad Leaders’ Summit ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected meeting in April with Chinese President Xi Jinping, arguing that it would strengthen Washington’s leverage in dealings with Beijing.
US Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, encouraging the Administration to prioritize the next iteration of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) involving the United States, Australia, India, and Japan.
It’s India’s turn to host the Quad summit. It was originally scheduled to be held in India in 2025. All four countries, including Trump, have expressed their commitment to attend the India Quad summit, which is now expected to be held this year.
“At this pivotal moment of intense strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China, convening a Quad Leaders’ Summit would send a clear signal of unity, resolve, and strategic coherence among leading Indo-Pacific democracies,” the senators wrote.
“Convening a Quad summit prior to President Trump’s planned meeting with Xi Jinping in April would be a decisive demonstration of US leadership in the Indo-Pacific prior to the President’s visit to Beijing. A successful Quad summit beforehand would allow President Trump to engage from a position of greater leverage.”
The lawmakers stressed that “Timing and sequencing are critical,” underscoring that a meeting before Trump’s Beijing visit would shape the diplomatic environment.
They noted that the Quad partners are “well-positioned to act collectively,” pointing to recent developments in US ties with Australia, India, and Japan.
“President Trump’s recent successes advancing American interests in our bilateral relationships with Australia, India, and Japan have set the stage for revitalised collective action through the Quad,” they wrote.
The letter cited expanded cooperation between Australia and Japan on “critical technologies and resilient supply chains” and increased defense investments through reaffirmed AUKUS commitments and deeper extended-deterrence coordination.”
It also referenced “The Administration’s announcement of a trade deal with India,” saying it “lays the groundwork to significantly deepen strategic and defense cooperation with India and across the Indo-Pacific.”
Highlighting common concerns, the senators wrote: “All four Quad partners face shared challenges including supply chain vulnerabilities, restrictions on critical minerals, threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and intensifying competition over emerging technologies.”
They added that “China has subjected Japan in particular to increased diplomatic pressure, military intimidation, and economic coercion that threatens regional stability and international norms.”
“The Quad is uniquely positioned to address these challenges and advance many of the objectives outlined in President Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy, building upon successes of previous Administrations, including strengthening allied deterrence, reducing strategic dependencies on adversaries, safeguarding technological leadership, and upholding freedom of navigation,” the letter said.
The senators concluded by urging action. “We look forward to working with you to strengthen the Quad at this pivotal moment for US diplomacy and urge you to prioritize organising a Quad Leaders’ Summit, and ensuing Foreign Minister and working group meetings,” they wrote. “Doing so would reinforce American leadership, empower our closest partners, and ensure that future engagement with Beijing is grounded in unity, strength, and strategic foresight.”
They also requested “a briefing to discuss the Administration’s vision and priorities for the Quad by March 13, 2026.”
The Quad, comprising the United States, India, Japan and Australia, has evolved over the past decade into a key platform for coordination on Indo-Pacific security, resilient supply chains, emerging technologies, and maritime cooperation. India has consistently backed a free and open Indo-Pacific, while balancing its own complex relationship with China amid border tensions and broader regional competition.
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