Biden to Host Leaders of Australia, India, Japan at White House Next Week

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden will host a first in-person summit of leaders of the "Quad" countries — Australia, India, Japan and the United States — which have been seeking to enhance cooperation to push back against China's growing assertiveness. 

The summit will be held at the White House in Washington on September 24, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. The U.S. visits of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will coincide with the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which Biden will address on September 21.  A virtual meeting of the Quad leaders was held in March, and they pledged to work closely on COVID-19 vaccines and climate change, and to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of challenges from Beijing.  "Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration's priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Psaki said.