politics

Quad leaders discuss vaccine production, China

35 Comments
By AAMER MADHANI

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


35 Comments
Login to comment

I presume that the OP is American and assumes that no one else makes arms. The USA could withdraw from international arms sales and there is sufficient capacity that no one would notice.

The Europeans, Japanese and even the Russians have no analogs for many US systems. Example the EC-135 Rivet Joint, the E-8 JSTARS, the AC-130, MH-47G (a very special helicopter), the F-22 and F-35, the B-2 and soon the B-21, RQ-180 and the upcoming 6th-Gen fighter for now called NGAD, a prototype of which has apparently been undergoing a successful test program. No other nation has radars like SPY-6 and SPY-7. Nobody else has anything comparable to SM-3 and especially the US-Japanese SM-3 Block II under development. No nation has anything comparable to Tomahawk either. No other nation has spent the time and money making precision terrain maps of the world to enable something like the Tomahawk's terrain matching radar to work successfully and find targets autonomously without any other outside reference if necessary and to fly at extremely low altitudes to avoid detection.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What is Yoshihide Suga doing talking about vaccine production and allocation?

Japan hasn’t even vaccinated all the medical staff in Japan yet!

The slowest rollout in history...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is no Quad. Neither Japan, nor Australia, nor India would have a strong military without the US supplied weapons (well, India takes some Russian weapons, but still). So it's 1 master and 3 puppets. Not a Quad of anything.

During WWII "Lend Lease", weapons and fuel supplied to the Soviets kept more than half the German army tied down in a meat grinder on the Eastern Front and contributed greatly to the Nazi defeat. Lend Lease provided the UK with valuable military hardware at a time their own factories were under attack and limited in their ability to build what they needed to fight the Germans.

Look at a map of the world. India is perfectly positioned to cut off Chinese access to Middle Eastern oil supplies it would be desperate for to sustain any kind of war. India can also cut off China's access their base in Djbouti and probably are in a position to conduct airstrikes on any supplies coming in from the Belt and Road or oil pipelines coming over the mountains from Pakistan or Myanmar. Whether they do this with US, Russian or Israeli supplied systems (pay attention, India is using versions of Israel Barak surface to air missile on its ships along with Israeli radars) is immaterial as long as they are willing to risk their equipment and manpower in a war fought alongside the other members of the Quad.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Present Japan's problematic prime minister Suga. his arrogant political style is never "free and open" to domestic media or academism or human rights situation, at least.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well majority of the Indian weapons are Russian,European and local in nature, US so far is a minor player.

I presume that the OP is American and assumes that no one else makes arms. The USA could withdraw from international arms sales and there is sufficient capacity that no one would notice.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

There is no Quad. Neither Japan, nor Australia, nor India would have a strong military without the US supplied weapons (well, India takes some Russian weapons)

Well majority of the Indian weapons are Russian,European and local in nature, US so far is a minor player..As for China..India can engage them militarily w/o any help from Quad.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When even quad members can identify the threat. Why can’t other nations? Its high time we must think who broke the economical backbone of every country just by developing virus. And why does WHO statements keep on changing? And who is the one who is spreading its land and military? Its time to unite to fight against the actual virus who is playing games to conquer every country like it is doing in South China Sea, Hong-Kong, Myanmar and many others.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Any evidence that the democrats espouse a “Global First Policy”?

Sure, just lookup Biden and Multilateralism

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Getting stronger and weaker shifts all the time but geography is a static.

So what sort of block do the bigwicks image here?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The 4some should better include ASEAN instead of US for regional balance

The US is needed for its strength plain and simple. ASEAN is weak and conflicted, just how China likes it.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The 4some should better include ASEAN instead of US for regional balance.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@ken, but if only life was this simple! polotics and common sense dont mix like oil and water.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As India showed last year, once you stand up to China they back off.

Australia also stood up to them despite threats of economic ruin.

The Quad has probably 10 times the military power China has, but the challenge is on the economic front.

Sleazy CCP run companies have quietly invested across he world while denying foreign investors the right to do so. It's time to weed these companies off by cutting their access to funding.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

Believe it or not, this is actually a big deal for Asia. 1) Post-TPP, there are now not only economic, but now unique military groupings being formed without any Chinese participation or involvement. 2) Bringing India, a traditionally "non-aligned" country into positive cooperation with the US/Japan/Australia and others is not just historical, but even game-changing in its implications for the future. 3) China has stupidly, in under a decade, managed to align almost all its formerly bickering neighbors, save for basket-case North Korea, into cooperation amongst themselves in groupings and associations that, again, specifically exclude and plan to address/counter Chinese influence.

The opposition to China is quietly but steadily gathering strength. And to additionally build cooperation experience around non-military issues like the COVID response, is also a good sign for future Asian stability.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

China is clearly concerned about the Quad or it would not continue to voice it's objections to it.

The Quad itself may not be sufficient to blunt China's ambitions, but China is concerned that with it's very existance the framework exists for expansion to include other disaffected nations that object to china's actions, tactics and ambitions.

A small hole in a dam needs to be stopped before the force of water behind it makes the hole to large to manage. China looks ahead and does not like what it can see the Quad potentially turning into.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

Why don't the leaders of the U.S. Australia and Japan press India on their persecution of religious minorities and their horrible treatment of women? India is considered to be one of the most dangerous places in the world for women. Instead of worrying about China, Modi should be worrying about the millions of Indians who live in absolutely miserable conditions including a very large number of working children.

-11 ( +7 / -18 )

The focus of QUAD conference is on how best to encage China, the rest seems subsidiary and inconsequential.

Nonetheless, one suspects if India is just paying a lip service to the 'alliance' under US enticement/pressure. Japan and Australia are both led by US, they just follow their master. Could Quad be only for show?

-13 ( +7 / -20 )

@Zoroto

Exactly which part do you find weak about Quad?

Add the total economic budget of all this countries.

Add the military budget of all this counties.

Add the ships, submarines, carriers of all this counties.

Add the satellites, space assets, rockets of all this countries.

Add the total number of soldiers, army and navy, special forces.

Bases worldwide.

Which part do you find funny or weak about the Quad? Please clarify.

12 ( +21 / -9 )

Are you sure that asking that Narendra Modi mf to cooperate a good idea? The way things are going in India under his leadership, in a few years he's going to be worse than Xi Jinpin.

-16 ( +4 / -20 )

Try to ask to ask around the world about the Quad and I assure you that 95% of people don’g even know what this is all about.

China and Russia will laugh at this.

Those two failing totalitarian regimes can laugh all they want. But the QUAD is the Indo-Pacific version of NATO, its strong and here to stay - and theyd better start educating themselves of that.

China seems to be living in the 1930’s & 1940’s with its bullying & territorial grabs

Very well argued, @ Tooheys New. The PRC is eerily similar to the Nazi regime of the 1930s. Encroach upon/invade/steal independent territories - check. Lock millions of people up in concentration camps (and worse) who have a religion not acceptable to the illegitimate rulers - check. Hatred of democracy and freedom - check. Constantly bully smaller nations - check. Spread propoganda through international channels - check. Rapid militarization - check.

The clear cut similarities between the PRC and Nazis are all there for all to see. Anyone who denies this is on the side of the Communists.

16 ( +24 / -8 )

You seem to be living in a time between the 1950s and 1980s.

and China seems to be living in the 1930’s & 1940’s with its bullying & territorial grabs

21 ( +28 / -7 )

Try to ask to ask around the world about the Quad and I assure you that 95% of people don’g even know what this is all about.

China and Russia will laugh at this.

This “Quad” has no power of anything,it can’t impose and for sure scare the others.

To contrast China it takes a way more than the “Quad” but a global coordination between the major democratic forces.

-12 ( +9 / -21 )

Very happy to see this! Countries need to work together in solidarity against the irresponsible and dangerous actions China continues to take.

Great job!

15 ( +23 / -8 )

Good, ramping up Vaccine production is a priority.

xi’s bitten more than he can chew, tough times ahead for him. As for putin, now that his lapdog, donald, is down and out, who cares!!!!

11 ( +21 / -10 )

This pandemic has become a tool for political manoeuvring.Humanity has been thrown out of the window.

Meanwhile,people are dying.Why not just waive the rights so that each country can manufacture their own generics and get over with the pandemic?

15 ( +17 / -2 )

The Commies will be sweating watching this big Summit. They know that if push comes to shove in the Indo-Pacific, the QUAD Military will finish them.

9 ( +22 / -13 )

A zoom meeting with no substance is front page news?

-4 ( +18 / -22 )

Must be a tight fit, keeping American voters supplied with vaccines and not bellying up to the Global First Policy bar that is mostly espoused by our Democrat friends.

-14 ( +8 / -22 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites