After G-7, Quad includes Taiwan Strait in talks

NEW DELHI, August 13

Taiwan on Friday irked China further by publicly thanking the members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) for including peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during the virtual discussions between their senior officials on Thursday.

The Biden administration is focusing on developing the Taiwan Strait as a friction point with China after decades. The US has been successful in mentioning Taiwan Strait in its joint statements with Japan and South Korea. More importantly, it found mention in the recent G-7 summit that was also virtually attended by PM Narendra Modi.

Analysts have noted that the inclusion of language on the Taiwan Strait is the first time it has appeared or reappeared after several years. While the Indian, Japanese and Australian readouts of the Quad meeting of senior officials did not mention Taiwan, the US statement disclosed that it was a topic for discussion besides other regional issues such as North Korea, the East and South China Seas and Myanmar. Taipei further rubbed it in by pointing out that Taiwan “sits at a key point in the first island chain off the Asian mainland” and especially thanked US President Joe Biden for his repeated reaffirmations.

The Quad is seen as a countermeasure against China in the Indo-Pacific region. While Donald Trump had not mentioned Taiwan Strait, his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had last year mentioned China as an aggressor in “South (China Sea), in the East China Sea, the Mekong, the Himalayas, the Taiwan Straits”. — TNS

China made largest-ever aerial incursion in Taiwan

• The Biden administration is focusing on developing the Taiwan Strait as a friction point with China after decades.
• The US has been successful in mentioning Taiwan Strait in its joint statements with Japan and South Korea.
• More importantly, it found mention in the recent G-7 summit that was also virtually attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Tensions have also risen after Taiwan was mentioned in the G-7 communiqué. In one of the largest Chinese aerial incursions a few days later, 28 military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.