India, the US, Japan and Australia are set to hold a ministerial meeting in Tokyo next month under the framework of the "Quadrilateral" coalition to further boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in view of China's growing assertiveness in the region, people familiar with the development said. The meeting is expected to be represented by foreign ministers of the four countries.
In November 2017, the four countries gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the "Quadrilateral" coalition or "Quad" to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence. "The second ministerial meeting of Quad is expected to take place next month in Japan," said one of the people cited above.
The meeting of foreign ministers of the four countries under the 'Quad' framework had taken place in New York in September 2019. India is also expanding bilateral cooperation with Japan, the US and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region.
On its part, the US has been pushing for a greater role for India in the Indo-Pacific which is seen by many countries as an effort to contain China's growing clout in the region. Earlier this month, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said India thinks the grouping "is a good system" to ensure freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.
"We want the Quad to become a system to ensure this, he said at a conference.
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