When the four leaders convene in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, China, Taiwan, and the contentious South China Sea are anticipated to be major topics of conversation.
Australia’s prime leader was welcomed by US President Joe Biden at his Delaware residence to begin a weekend-long summit with the so-called Quad group, which he has promoted as a counterbalance to China.
For the final summit of his presidency, Biden selected Wilmington, his hometown, to host leaders from Australia, India, and Japan. This was his decision after he withdrew from the 2024 race against Donald Trump and gave Kamala Harris control of the Democratic campaign.
On Saturday he will receive Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having met one-on-one with Albanese at his estate on Friday night.
That day, Biden will conduct a full four-way meeting and a “intimate” supper at his old city high school.
“This will be President Biden’s first time hosting foreign leaders in Wilmington as president — a reflection of his deep personal relationships with each of the Quad Leaders,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary, said.
The White House announced that Vice President Harris will not be in attendance.
Prioritizing global alliances
Although the Quad grouping was founded in 2007, Biden has actively promoted it as part of his focus on global alliances.
Amidst tensions with Beijing, China is anticipated to come up frequently in their talks, especially in light of recent incidents involving Chinese and Philippine warships in the disputed South China Sea.
Additional items on the agenda included progress toward tracking fishing ships operating in the Asia-Pacific region, the majority of which were Chinese, and increased security cooperation in the Indian Ocean.
Officials stated that harsher wording about North Korea’s threats and the South China Sea than at prior meetings was anticipated in a joint statement.
In 2025, India will play host to the next Quad summit.
Wilmington, which is about 176 kilometers from Washington, is Biden’s hometown, and he is renowned for being proud of it. He often spends weekends there, away from the White House.
