WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and three of its closest Indo-Pacific partners committed to supplying up to a billion coronavirus vaccine doses across Asia by the end of 2022 on Friday at a meeting carefully choreographed to counter China\u2019s growing influence in the region.<\/p>\n
U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan – countries together known as the Quad – pledged at their first summit to forge a free and open Indo-Pacific, including cooperation on maritime, cyber and economic security, all issues vital to the four democracies in the face of challenges from Beijing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re renewing our commitment to ensure that our region is governed by international law, committed to upholding universal values, and free from coercion,\u201d Biden told his counterparts, without naming China.<\/p>\n
His national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, framed the virtual summit as a big day for U.S. diplomacy, as the U.S. looks to revitalize its alliances and approach Beijing from a position of strength ahead of a senior-level U.S.-China meeting in Alaska next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe four leaders did discuss the challenge posed by China, and they made clear that none of them have any illusions about China,\u201d Sullivan told reporters later, adding that they all believed democracy could outcompete \u201cautocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freedom of navigation in the South and East China Sea, recent cyberattacks, and semi-conductor supply-chain security, were discussed, Sullivan said, though he added that the main focus was not on China.<\/p>\n
The North Korean nuclear issue, and the coup and \u201cviolent repression\u201d in Myanmar, were also raised, he said.<\/p>\n
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