WASHINGTON – President Biden spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday about local security issues surrounding China and the Myanmar uprising, the White House said.
The two leaders agreed to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, “including support for freedom of navigation, territorial integrity and a stronger regional architecture by the Quad,” the White House said in a statement on the call, with reference to the four-nation group which also includes Japan and Australia.
Although China is not mentioned by the White House, increasing Chinese patrols around Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea have led democracies to greater cooperation. The Quad reformed in 2017 in part to address the rising China.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Indian government said in a statement that the leaders “discussed long-term regional developments and the broader geopolitical context” and “reiterated the importance of working with like-minded countries to establish a rules-based international order and a free, open and to ensure inclusive. Indo-Pacific region. “
According to the White House, Messrs. Biden and Modi also discuss the Myanmar upheaval as well as Covid-19 and climate change.