US President Joe Biden was inadvertently recorded on an open microphone on Saturday, expressing concerns to the leaders of Australia, India, and Japan about China's assertive behavior. His remarks, which included references to Beijing, could potentially undermine the carefully worded summit declaration that deliberately avoided mentioning China by name. The comments were made during the opening of a farewell summit in Biden's hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Biden stated that China's aggressive actions are being felt across various regions, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South Asia, and the Taiwan Straits. He also noted that President Xi Jinping appears to be focusing on domestic economic challenges and seeking to minimize diplomatic turbulence, while simultaneously pursuing China's interests more aggressively. Despite this, Biden maintained that recent efforts by Washington to ease tensions, including a call with Xi in April, are helping to prevent conflicts.
The unintentional disclosure risked complicating the diplomatic efforts of the four nations, who had collectively emphasized that their grouping is not solely about countering China. In their joint statement following the summit, the leaders refrained from directly mentioning China, even as they expressed concerns over border tensions. They condemned 'coercive and intimidating maneuvers' in the South China Sea without specifying which country's actions they were referring to. The disputed islands in the East China Sea have long been a point of contention between Japan and China.
The summit was also overshadowed by the upcoming US presidential election in November, with former President Donald Trump in a close race against Biden's political successor Kamala Harris. Biden assured the group that the Quad would persist regardless of the political outcome. India's Modi echoed this sentiment, a commitment welcomed by Washington, Canberra, and Tokyo as they seek to engage historically non-aligned New Delhi.
Biden's farewell summit was marked by personal touches, taking place at his former high school in Wilmington, and he hosted private, one-on-one talks with each leader at his home. The leaders also announced investments in fighting cervical cancer as part of Biden's 'Cancer Moonshot' initiative, a deeply personal project following the death of his eldest son Beau from brain cancer. The media were not granted access to the private meetings at Biden's home, but he shared images on social media of the gatherings.
The White House emphasized that the summit reflected Biden's prioritization of international alliances. There are growing concerns about the implications if Trump, who has previously threatened to withdraw the United States from groups like NATO and praised leaders of Russia and North Korea, were to return to the Oval Office.
