Quad's ulterior motives threaten peaceful development in Asia

Behind the sanctimonious statement of advocating "openness" and safeguarding "peace and stability" in the Asia-Pacific region, US ulterior motives in staging the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit are sowing the seeds of confrontation and threaten peaceful development in Asia.

The summit, attended on Tuesday by Japan, the United States, Australia and India in the Japanese capital, is actually a closed and exclusive "clique" targeting China.

Their claims that Quad would create a "free and open Indo-Pacific" are nothing more than an attempt to create division and incite confrontation in China's neighborhood.

Washington has been obsessed with countering China's rising influence in Asia and the rest of the world, self-indulging in the illusion that if China, which it regards as its main competitor, falls, the sole superpower can continue its worldwide hegemony. Thus it held one summit after another, trying to peddle more of its anti-China strategies.

Quad is doomed to fail if it continues to ignore the interests of regional countries. Earlier this month, the United States attempted to pull the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) into its anti-China camp. It also pressured member countries to take sides in the Ukraine-Russia conflict but encountered plenty of opposition.

How bold is it for Washington to preach itself like a peace promoter after bringing so much turmoil to Middle Eastern countries like Iraq and Syria, not to mention the bombing of the former Yugoslavia. Moreover, it continues to deliver weapons to Ukraine, prolonging the worst European crisis in decades. Asian countries will never allow such chaos and tragedy to happen to their own people.

"Asia is now facing great opportunities for development. As long as the peaceful environment and cooperation system are strengthened, it will achieve even greater development," said Kazuteru Saionji, a visiting professor at Higashi Nippon International University. "The US-led 'Quadrilateral mechanism' and the 'Indo-Pacific Economic Framework' are the Cold War mentality that undermines such development opportunities."

Saionji's voice has been echoed by many Japanese who openly protested US President Joe Biden's visit to Japan, worrying that the United States and Japan would lead Asia into war.

Actively cooperating with Washington in weaving a network to besiege China, the Japanese government seems to forget the havoc its predecessor brought to neighboring countries in World War II.

When asked to comment on US-Japan talks on the East China Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China firmly opposes attempts by the United States and Japan to hype up issues to damage China's reputation and interfere in China's internal affairs.

"Japan bears historical responsibilities to the Chinese people on the Taiwan question. It should speak and act with extra prudence, earnestly learn lessons from history and avoid repeating past mistakes," Wang said.

No matter the disguise, Quad goes against the trend of world peace and development, raising the alarm to all peace-loving countries and peoples in Asia.

"Quad, its hidden agenda, as far as the United States is concerned, is to create an Asian NATO, which is dangerous for Asia, and dangerous for the world," said Sudheendra Kulkarni, former chairman of Mumbai-based think tank Observer Research Foundation.

China has repeatedly stated that it welcomes any regional cooperation framework that truly promotes openness and free trade and contributes to the world's economic recovery, but opposes Washington's attempts to derail regional integration.

The Asia-Pacific should become the pacesetter of peace and development. Given Washington's horrendous record of violating international law, the world should be on guard. For the sake of peaceful development, Quad's attempt to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region should be resolutely opposed.