Biden to meet with ‘Quad’ leaders during trip to Asia amid rising tension with China

President Biden is planning to make “several” stops, including a summit featuring leaders from the “Quad” alliance, during his trip to Asia this spring amid an increasingly contentious relationship between the U.S. and China.

Biden’s trip, which will mark his first visit to the region as president, will include a “summit with three key regional allies in Japan,” according to a report from Reuters. The summit will feature leaders from Australia, India and Japan in Tokyo.

In a statement to the outlet, a senior administration official who was granted anonymity said Biden is seeking to “regularize our engagement through the Quad, which continues to operate at full speed.”

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“The President will also make several other stops on that trip,” the official added, refusing to elaborate.

While the exact date for Biden’s trip has yet to be finalized and made public, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that the trip could take place in May.

Earlier this month, a readout from the White House stated Biden “welcomed” an invitation from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan to “visit Japan for the next Quad Leaders Meeting in the first half of 2022.”

Kishida makes opening remarks during the trilateral meeting in Tokyo, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.
(Katsumi Kasahara/Pool Photo via AP)

The official said the Biden administration is working to launch a Pacific Islands initiative “to coordinate our actions, drive resources, and raise our ambition in the region, including on climate, maritime, and transportation issues.” 

In addition, the official said the administration will “continue prioritizing our Indo-Pacific focus and will have more…