A U.S. State Department senior official said Monday that the United States, Japan, Australia and India have no immediate plan to expand their Quad grouping despite South Korea showing interest in the four-way framework.
"There is no plan in the near term to expand the official membership of the Quad," Camille Dawson, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told reporters in Tokyo.
The view is a "common understanding" among the four member countries, the visiting official added.
Her remarks came after a senior South Korean official in March expressed willingness to take part in the working group of the U.S.-led club, widely seen as a counter to China's growing military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Dawson said she is "not aware of any country" that has asked for or suggested full membership while underscoring that the Quad aims to promote collaboration with other nations in each field to address issues related to Beijing.
She also said the Quad will not be "a major topic of discussion" at the trilateral summit between the United States, Japan, and South Korea at Camp David near Washington this Friday.
Since taking office in May last year, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's government has prioritized trilateral security cooperation with the United States and Japan in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
© KYODO
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Groucho Marx
it is not the US's call.
OssanAmerica
South Korea is "showing interest" but they are still not domestically ready. Which is strange because every South Korean K-War movie shows Chinese troops killing ROK troops.
Samit Basu
@OssanJapan
Well, it's Yoon alone who's showing interest while the supermajority of Korean public are against it. And each one of Yoon's stunts simply cost him votes that leads to his inevitable impeachment.
winston
QUAD is stuck in the mud
Cant move forward or back or expand but slowly sinking
Gotten a bit rancid anyway
deanzaZZR
Yoon and his party will be gone in a few years. Being pro-Japanese in Korea looks great from Washington DC. Let's be kind and simply say it looks less well from Seoul.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I suppose you think the non-military BRICS smells like roses? Not after Russia has had several Vietnams in Ukraine.
winston
QUAD is stuck in the mud
Cant move forward or back or expand but slowly sinking
Gotten a bit rancid anyway
Oh ahem well thankyou
But no thankyou very much
Probably better not to assuming or supposing anything with me as iam not a force to be reckoned with.
Just allow me my opinion thankyou very much
Goodbye !