Biden to attend Quad summit in Tokyo, South Korea

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Biden to attend Quad summit in Tokyo, South Korea

The White House has said that US President Joe Biden will be in South Korea and Japan next month and will be at the Quad summit in Tokyo, during which he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Biden's trip to South Korea and Japan is scheduled for May 20 to 24.

"This trip will advance the Biden-Harris administration's rock-solid commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.

Biden will hold bilateral meetings with South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

The leaders will discuss opportunities to deepen our vital security relationships, enhance economic ties and expand our close cooperation to deliver practical results.

President Biden will meet the leaders of the Quad grouping of Australia, Japan, India and the United States in Tokyo. Psaki said we look forward to having more details to share about this trip soon.

In November 2017, the US, Australia, India and Japan gave shape to the long- pending proposal to set up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes free from any influence, despite China's growing military presence in the strategic region.

China claims almost all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. Beijing is involved in a maritime dispute with Japan over the East China Sea.

The Quad leaders, at their first in person summit in Washington in September last year, hosted by US President Biden, had pledged to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is also 'inclusive and resilient', as they noted that the strategically vital region, witnessing China's growing military manoeuvring, is a bedrock of their shared security and prosperity.