China ‘testing’ US, Australia, Joe Biden reveals in ‘hot mic’ moment
Joe Biden’s embarrassing gaffe at the Quad leaders summit in the US President’s home town comes after officials explicitly stressed the gathering was not about containing China.
Joe Biden has revealed an ‘aggressive’ China is “testing” the US and allies in an embarrassing ‘hot mic’ moment at the Quad leaders summit in the President’s home town of Wilmington, Delaware, attended by Anthony Albanese and the Japanese and Indian prime ministers.
After US officials had explicitly stressed the gathering of leaders was not about containing China, the President said at the start of the meeting that China “continued to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region” in comments that were picked up by reporters after the four leaders believed the media had left the room.
“It’s true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Straits,” Mr Biden said at the start of a 2.5 hour meeting held in his old high school Archmere Academy.
“It’s true across the scope of our relationship, including on economic and technology issues,” he added, in comments that will provide fodder for Beijing to argue the Quad, which was elevated to a leader level forum by Mr Biden in 2021, has been a de facto alliance against China.
In a briefing for media head of the meeting which took place on Saturday afternoon (Sunday AEST) national security adviser Jake Sullivan had earlier told reporters: “The Quad isn’t really about any other country. It’s not directed at another country”.
The more than 6000 word ‘Wilmington Declaration’, which served as the final leaders’ statement, released after the leaders’ exchange didn’t mention China once, saying only amid a plethora of minor announcements that group was “seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas”.
“We continue to express our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea,” the declaration said, in a clear reference to Beijing’s increasingly expansionist and aggressive actions in those areas.
The fourth leader-level in person meeting of Quad nations took place amid questions about the forum’s future, given Joe Biden was leaving office in January, Japanese prime minister Kishida Fumio had announced his retirement, Narendra Modi of India won his third term with a significantly reduced majority, and Anthony Albanese faced an election next year.
Mr Albanese, who departed for Australia straight after the meeting wrapped up, said he was “absolutely confident” of the Quad’s endurance amid fears a future Trump administration could show less interest in the group of disparate democracies.
“The Quad is an important body. Unlike a lot of international forums, it doesn’t have a long history, and that means it’s not defined by tradition, but it also means it’s not constrained by it,” Mr Albanese said.
As the four leaders posed for a photograph Joe Biden said the Quad forum would last “way beyond November” when an Australian reporter asked if the group would survive.
“The Quad is about practical, meaningful outcomes in strategic areas ranging from clean energy and dealing with the challenge, but also the opportunity that climate change represents, health security to critical and emerging technologies, cyber resilience, infrastructure, maritime security and, of course, counter terrorism as well,” Mr Albanese said in his opening remarks.
At least one respected defence analyst pointed to the small size of some of the quad plans. “Intends to provide $1.5 million to the World Bank!!!! This is such small beer that the fact it made it into the formal Readout is an alarm bell,” Michael Shoebridge, the director of Canberra-based Strategic Analysis Australia, posted on social media.
The meeting of the four leaders took place in an impressive glass roofed hall at the president’s old high school, which included a Roman style fountain of a mythical figure in the centre, a choice seen as a way to cement the president’s personal advocacy of the Quad grouping during his presidency.
In his opening remarks Mr Modi, declaring “we are not against anybody”, appeared to defend his country’s maintenance of friendly relations with Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, and refusal to support sanctions US lead sanctions, which some analysts feared could fracture the Quad.
“All of us support a rules based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of all disputes,” he said.
Among the top announcements flagged by quad leaders was a “First-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission”, whereby coast guard personnel from the four nations will man each other’s ships “to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety, and continuing with further missions in future years across the Indo-Pacific” from next year.
The four leaders also announced a Quad Cancer Moonshot to reduce the incidence and severity of cervical cancer throughout the Indo Pacific region, partly funded by the Minderoo Foundation, established by Andrew Forrest, founder of Fortescue Metals.
“The world stands on the edge of defeating this cancer. Minderoo Foundation, Australia and the quad, I hope, will now push it over the line,” Mr Forrest, who was in attendance at the summit, told reporters.
Minderoo will fund almost half of Australia’s total contribution of $29 million to the effort.
“It spreads the joy of knowing you will not die from cervical cancer across from Australia to all our neighbours and eventually around the world”.
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