India, the United States, Australia, and Japan plan to jointly develop port infrastructure in Fiji after a meeting in New Delhi. The initiative is part of the Quad, a grouping that has worked for two decades to counter China’s economic and political influence in the Asia Pacific. China opposes bloc confrontation and says groupings should not target third parties. Australia’s foreign minister praised the Fiji plan as a strong commitment to deliver high-quality infrastructure aligned with Pacific priorities. Fiji’s foreign minister said Suva and Lautoka would be the first ports developed under a pilot project called the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership. The move raises questions about Quad relevance and could affect US-China tensions.
"The foreign ministers of India, the United States, Australia and Japan have announced plans to jointly develop port infrastructure in Fiji, a strategically important Pacific island nation, following their meeting in New Delhi earlier this week. Their grouping, called the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue alliance or Quad, for short has worked over the past two decades as a counter force to China's economic and political influence in the Asia Pacific region."
"China, in turn, has said groupings should not target any third party, and Beijing opposes engaging in bloc confrontation. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong hailed the initiative in Fiji as the strongest commitment to deliver high-quality infrastructure that the Quad has made in the Pacific region. She said a pilot for port infrastructure in Fiji reflects the group's ability to deliver high-quality infrastructure in response to Pacific priorities."
"Fiji's foreign minister said Suva and Lautoka would be the first ports to be developed on the island under a pilot project by the newly announced Quad Ports of the Future Partnership. This marks the first such joint initiative by the Quad."
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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