New Delhi: During the QUAD summit, US President Joe Biden made candid remarks about Chinas aggressive behavior, which were caught on a hot mic. According to reports, Biden stated that China was “testing” the QUAD nations—comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia—on multiple fronts. The US President highlighted that Chinese President Xi Jinping was seeking to create diplomatic space to pursue Chinas interests aggressively.Chinas aggressive actionsBidens comments came during his opening remarks as reporters were leaving the summit venue. He emphasized that Chinas aggressive actions span economic and technological arenas, and these actions challenge the QUAD nations, which demand “intense diplomacy in times of intense competition.”Glad to have met Quad Leaders during todays Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. The discussions were fruitful, focusing on how Quad can keep working to further global good. We will keep working together in key sectors like healthcare, technology, climate change and capacity… pic.twitter.com/xVRlg9RYaF— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2024The QUAD summit, held on Saturday, was attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In a bid to downplay Bidens candid statements, a senior US administration official noted that the remarks align with the US governments consistent stance on China. “Our inside voice matches our outside voice,” the official stated, adding that the agenda for the QUAD summit included other pressing regional issues beyond Chinas activities.Free and open Indo-Pacific regionIn a subtle yet pointed statement, the leaders of the QUAD alliance—comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia—reaffirmed their dedication to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This statement is widely seen as a response to Beijings ongoing military actions and territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. China has been aggressively asserting its claims over vast stretches of the South China Sea, much to the concern of neighboring countries and the international community.One of the most contentious aspects of Chinas strategy is its invocation of the “nine-dash-line” theory, which asserts sovereignty over nearly 90% of the South China Sea. This claim overlaps with the territorial waters of several Southeast Asian nations.
