Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. held their first leaders' summit online and issued a joint statement that called for broad cooperation. It is significant, especially with regard to deterring Beijing, that the leaders of these major countries have convened to uphold common values of democracy and the rule of law.
Until now, foreign ministers and top civil servants from the four countries -- also known as the Quad -- have held repeated discussions. The talks were upgraded to the leaders' level at the behest of U.S. President Joe Biden. We welcome the fact that the U.S., which in recent years has preferred bilateral diplomacy, is clarifying its position on cooperating with allies and focusing on Asia in resolving various issues of concern to the international community.
