Vegan, "Quad is open to other countries"

Emphasizing the Need to Expand the Quad Again During Speech in India
"China Is the Elephant in the Room"

Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Policy, is speaking in a series of meetings with Cho Se-young, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, followed by Lee Do-hoon, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on the morning of the 8th. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The United States has once again expressed its intention to expand the 'Quad,' a coalition of countries countering China in the Indo-Pacific region.

On the 12th (local time), Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, who is visiting India, stated in a speech at the India-U.S. Forum that the Quad could be open to other countries supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

He said, "The Quad is not intended to be an exclusive grouping," and emphasized, "Any country that seeks a free and open Indo-Pacific and is willing to take measures to ensure it will be welcomed to cooperate with us."

Deputy Secretary Biegun also likened China to the "elephant in the room" during the meeting, a phrase meaning an issue that everyone is aware of but no one is willing to address directly.

However, Deputy Secretary Biegun said, "India has a strong and proud tradition of strategic autonomy, and we respect that," adding, "We do not seek to change India's tradition."

AP News evaluated this statement as an attempt to soothe India's concerns that building a direct strategic alliance with the U.S. could provoke China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.