China hopes US President Biden’s visit to Asia not aimed at it

Beijing, May 20 (PTI) A wary China on Friday expressed the hope that US President Joe Biden’s visit to Asia and his participation at the Quad Summit in Japan is not aimed at it and that Washington will promote solidarity in the Asia-Pacific region, instead of “plotting division and confrontation”.

Biden arrived in South Korea on Friday after which he would travel to Japan where he would attend the summit of Quad leaders in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also take part.

China has been criticising the Quad alliance comprising of the US, Japan, India and Australia, saying that it is akin to “Asian NATO” aimed at containing its rise.

Asked about Biden’s visit Japan and his plans to attend the Quad summit and announce the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that Beijing hopes his trip is not aimed at confronting it.

“We noted that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the other day that President Biden’s upcoming trip to Asia is not aimed at confronting China,” he said.

“We hope that the US will match its words with deeds and work with countries in the region to promote solidarity and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, instead of plotting division and confrontation,” he said.

China refers to the Indo-Pacific as Asia-Pacific.

The US, India and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

The US should join efforts to foster an open and inclusive “circle of friends” in the Asia-Pacific, instead of putting together a closed and exclusive “clique”, Wang said.

“It should do more to contribute to peace and development in the Asia-Pacific, instead of creating turbulence and chaos in the region,” the spokesman said.

China holds that any regional cooperation framework should conform to the trend of the times for peace and development and enhance mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries, he said.

“It should not target third parties or undermine their interests, and should not be decidedly selective or exclusive”, Wang said.