New Quad talks strengthen ties among US, Japan, India and Australia

Senior diplomats from the US, Japan, India and Australia held another round of talks on Thursday, the latest sign that the burgeoning alliance known as the Quad continues to grow closer in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.

The officials from the four nations met by videoconference to discuss “strategic challenges” in the Indo-Pacific region, “promoting democracy and human rights” and “the importance of peace and security in the Taiwan Strait”, according to the US State Department. The meeting was “part of regular Quad consultations to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region”, the department said.