‘Indo-Pacific Nato’: China’s Wang Yi slams US-led ‘Quad’ as underlying security risk at Malaysia meeting

The grouping, which includes Japan, Australia and India, aims to maintain US dominance, China’s senior diplomat told the media in Malaysia

Wang’s comments, which were not part of his prepared remarks, came in a question and answer session after a meeting with his Malaysian counterpart

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Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, right, receives Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ahead of their meeting. Photo: Bernama/DPA

Published: 3:25pm, 13 Oct 2020Updated: 10:44pm, 13 Oct 2020

Strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan, Australia and India in the form of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is part of Washington’s effort to build an “Indo-Pacific Nato”, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, warning that the initiative would severely undermine regional security.

The senior Chinese diplomat’s withering assessment of the so-called Quad grouping came as he spoke to the media after meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein in Kuala Lumpur – the second pit stop in his five-nation Southeast Asian tour this week.

Both foreign ministers offered glowing reviews of bilateral ties in the press conference, and outlined plans for a new high-level committee to steer cooperation on dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Malaysia has been listed by Beijing as a “priority recipient” of the four Chinese vaccines for the coronavirus currently in late-stage trials.

Samples of a Covid-19 vaccine are displayed near a 3D model of a coronavirus during a trade fair in Beijing last month. Photo: AP

Hishammuddin said the government was closely monitoring developments as Beijing begins making its vaccines available to the general public from November. Wang said as “Malaysia was a good friend of China”, the Chinese government was standing ready to “pursue detailed consultations and to carry out collaboration on vaccines”.