Biden's touch on Asia-Pacific

Quad meet eyes shifting of US focus away from Middle East

President Joe Biden is looking to showcase the Indo-Pacific partnership he has nurtured since taking office as he hosts the leaders of Australia, Japan and India in his hometown Saturday with an eye on his legacy as well. When Biden entered the White House he looked to elevate the so-called Quad, established due to shared concerns about China. Until then, Quad comprised foreign minister level meetings. Biden sees Quad as his signature foreign policy achievement, before he leaves office. He elevated it to a leader-level partnership as he tried to pivot US foreign policy away from conflicts in the Middle East and towards threats and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific.