They also pledged to stay united and cooperated, boost the supply chain of COVID-19 vaccines, upgrade the infrastructure and technology to fight COVID-19.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison stressed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region while India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for peace in this region. The Quad announced several new pacts targeting China, including one to bolster supply chain security for semiconductors and to combat illegal fishing and boost maritime domain awareness. It also rolled out a 5G partnership and plans to track climate change.

In a briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian criticized the Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, as it is formally known, adding it will entice an arms race in the region.