India's COVID-19 vax leadership high on Quad summit agenda

Indias leadership in providing the Covid19 vaccine will be high on the agenda of the first Quad summit on Friday as the leaders of the four countries look for ways to build the group as a benevolent force for the region extending its role beyond the strategic as they confront Chinas growing hard and soft powersThe leaders will discuss ongoing efforts to combat Covid19 pandemic and explore opportunities for collaboration in ensuring safe equitable and affordable vaccines in the IndoPacific region Modis office saidAdding a few more details the Japanese news agency Kyodo in a report from Washington quoting people familiar with the agenda said The leaders plan to announce financial support to boost production capacity for vaccines in India seen as part of efforts to counter Chinas growing influence which has been offering free shots to countries in Southeast Asia and AfricaPrime Ministers Narendra Modi of India Scott Morrison of Australia and Yoshihide Suga of Japan and US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are to participate in Fridays virtual summitBidens Spokesperson Jan Psaki said We expect the conversation to be about a range of global issues It is not focused on China Of course China is a topic on the minds of many leaders in countries but we expect they will talk about the climate crisis about economic cooperation about addressing Covid a range of issues and discussionsWhile leaders of the Quad nations have met regularly at the levels of Foreign Ministers and other officials since its revival in 2017 this will be the first meeting at the summit levelComing so soon after Biden assumed office it also shows the urgency the administration feels about the IndoPacific region as China looms as a threat both militarily and diplomaticallyExplaining the groups orientation State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said We recognise that Quad members are uniquely positioned to help lead the region out of crises and to help move the region towards the more positive vision we all seek both to address these crises and to seize these opportunities that are presented to all of us collectivelyHe also said that the Quad was not focused solely on ChinaOf course maritime security is a key focus of the Quad but it is a grouping that is predicated on shared interestsWe have shared interests in standing up for universal values and rights We have shared economic interests We have shared security interests We have deep peopletopeople ties with all of these countries And thats what the Quad is about Its about more than any one particular challenge he addedBidens attention to Covid19 vaccines is driven by the advances made by Russia and China whom the US considers its adversaries in the vaccine diplomacy which has left Washington and its European allies behindApart from those two countries only India has been a player in vaccine diplomacyWhile India has directly donated vaccines to several countries and sold to others it is also the main supplier to the World Health Organizationsponsored COVAX that has already provided them to more than a dozen countries and plans to cover more than 140 countriesBiden has been criticised by several commentators for his America First policy on Covid19 vaccines no different from that of his predecessor Donald Trump refusing to share vaccines with the rest of the world while speaking of international cooperationHe has pledged 2 billion to the COVAX but to part with vaccinesA New York Times editorial said It is very much in Americas national interest not to cede a critical soft power advantage to autocratic rivals like Russia or China Poor countries will remember who came to their assistance and whenThe same editorial denigrated Indias efforts asserting that it was only donating vaccines because it could not distribute them domesticallyCollaborating with India in making and distributing vaccines under the aegis of the US and the Quad would be a way for Biden to claim the high ground in vaccine diplomacy while also hanging on to the domestic supplyVaccine diplomacy would be a return to the philanthropic roots of the Quad which started when the four countries began to collaborate on regional tsunami relief in 2004This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever