Pompeo uses Quad forum to counter China's influence

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday denounced China's "exploitation, corruption, and coercion" as he participated in a meeting in Tokyo of the Quad grouping of nations - the United States, Japan, India, and Australia.

"As partners in this Quad, it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the CCP's exploitation, corruption and coercion," Pompeo said at the outset of the forum, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, as quoted by Voice of America.

The foreign ministers of India, the United States, Japan, and Australia here on Tuesday commenced Quad foreign ministers' meeting.

This is the second foreign ministers' meeting of the Quadrilateral grouping. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary Mike Pompeo, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi participated in the meeting hosted by Japan.

Michael Pompeo emphasised on the need to collaborate to protect the people and partners from the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) exploitation, corruption and coersion."Last year when we met we could not imagine this crisis. The situation was made worse by the CCP's cover-up. The regime's authoritarian leaders silenced the very brave Chinese citizens who attempted to raise the alarm," said Pompeo.

( With inputs from ANI )