Biden caught in ‘hot-mic’ moment warning Anthony Albanese China behaving ‘aggressively’ and ‘testing us all’
Joe Biden has been caught in a hot-mic moment warning Anthony Albanese and the leaders of India and Japan that China is behaving aggressively and “testing us all across the region” at a turbulent moment for Beijing.
The US President’s candid comments were recorded after he, Mr Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and India’s Narendra Modi all emphasised the strength of the Quad before closed-door talks in Delaware on Saturday.
Mr Albanese had been reluctant throughout the weekend to name China as a focus for the Quad even though US officials said the Asian superpower would be high on the agenda.
It was the first topic Mr Biden turned to after media were ushered out of the meeting room, telling the other leaders that China’s aggression appeared to be “change in tactic, not a change in strategy”.
“China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region, and it’s true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Straits,” Mr Biden said.
“At least from our perspective, we believe (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimise the turbulence in China’s diplomatic relationships, and he’s also looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest.”
The comments, which are likely to be viewed by China as confirmation the grouping will continue to be in alliance against it, were picked up by reporters outside the room watching the host broadcast.
In a joint statement afterwards, the allies said they had serious concerns about “coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea”, although they stopped short of naming China.
“We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas,” they said in the Wilmington Declaration.
“We continue to express our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres.”
Chinese military has been involved in multiple clashes recently with the Philippines coastguard, as well as a number of dangerous encounters with Australian forces.
In a step-up of the Quad’s security cooperation, the Australian Border Force will team up with the US, Japanese and Indian coast guards from next year, and the four countries will also cooperate on maritime aerial patrols to keep track of activities such as illegal fishing and transnational crime.
Although Mr Albanese said the details of the coast guard deployments were still being worked out, a senior Biden administration official said the agreement “means Quad partners on American ships in the year 2025 in the South China Sea”.
Under a separate initiative, the Quad countries will step up maritime aerial surveillance to crack down on illegal fishing and drug traffickers.
“It’s very important, obviously, with some of the illegal fishing activity and other activity that occurs there, that they’re able to monitor it and this will assist,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
The Quad faces significant upheaval as Mr Biden and Mr Kishida are retiring from politics within months and Mr Albanese will also face an election likely before the Quad next meets.
“While challenges will come, the world will change, because the Quad is here to stay, I believe, here to stay,” Mr Biden said after welcoming the other leaders.
He earlier told reporters the Quad would survive “way beyond November”, despite fears if Donald Trump wins the US election he could abandon the forum.
Mr Albanese said he believed “the sum of the four individual parts” of the countries coming together makes their joint work more effective.
“Unlike some international forums, the Quad. . . doesn’t have a long history. That means it’s not defined by tradition but it also means it’s not confined by it,” he said.
“It means that as it develops, it can evolve – and that is, I believe, what is happening.”
The Quad first formed as a coordination mechanism in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Mr Biden boosted it to a leader-level gathering after he took the presidency in 2021 and it has met five times since.
The president is now seeking to cement his leadership in elevating the US foreign policy focus on the Indo-Pacific, with the emphasis he places on the region seen as a counter to the rise of China
Mr Modi noted that Saturday’s meeting came at a time when the world was “surrounded by conflicts and tension”.
But he insisted that “we are not against anybody”, despite China’s ongoing alarm about the alliance.
The Indian prime minister switched from Hindi to English to add, “Our message is clear: Quad is here to stay, to assist, to partner and to complement.”
Mr Albanese said Australia saw the Quad as a key instrument to promote regional stability and that it was about achieving practical and meaningful outcomes.
Saturday’s meeting was held at Archmere Academy, under a stained glass roof depicting clouds and vines in the lobby of the 1918 building that was originally the homestead of businessman John Raskob.
Mr Biden attended the Catholic high school, as did his three children. It was also the location of the funeral for his eldest son Beau, who died in 2015 of brain cancer and inspired the President’s cancer moonshot which now incorporates a Quad initiative.
Ahead of the meeting, four US congress members teamed up to form bipartisan Quad caucuses – similar to Australia’s parliamentary friendship groups – and back in the diplomatic grouping for the long term.
Republican congressman Rob Wittman said the Quad had proven it could build a better future for the nations by working together.
“I am proud to join my colleagues to launch this bicameral, bipartisan Quad Caucus to foster stable collaboration for years to come,” he said.
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