China: "Not Opposed to Quad Summit but Must Contribute to Peace"

(Source: CNN)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Ahead of the so-called 'Quad' summit meeting involving the United States, Japan, India, and Australia, China stated on the 10th a principled position of "not opposing but seeking peace."

On the same day, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing, "All cooperation initiatives must respond to the trend of the times, which is peace and development."

He added, "We do not oppose it," but also said, "The countries involved should start from the common interests of the region and nations, uphold the ideas of openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit, and contribute to peace and development."

Regarding media reports that the four Quad countries plan to supply COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries to counter China, he said, "Which vaccine to choose is a matter each country decides autonomously."

He continued, "China's vaccine development has increased vaccine access for developing countries and reduced their burden," and stated, "We oppose any attempts to create vaccine nationalism, build immunity barriers, or politicize vaccines."

Earlier, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the four Quad countries have a plan to provide low-interest loans to developing countries such as those in Africa, enabling them to purchase Indian-made COVID-19 vaccines with these funds, and that an agreement related to this is expected to be reached at the summit meeting to be held virtually on the 12th.

The day before, the White House announced that President Joe Biden will meet virtually on the 12th with Quad counterparts Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia.

The summit, the first since the Biden administration took office, is expected to address issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic cooperation, and the climate change crisis.

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