China accuses Quad of stirring up conflicts, creating tension in region

China on Monday accused the Quad nations, including the US and India, of "artificially creating tension" and "inciting confrontation" to "contain" the development of other countries in the Asia Pacific region. Beijing's statement came hours after the foreign ministers of the Quad countries, comprising the US, Japan, India and Australia, in a meeting in Tokyo, reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, vowing to work towards a region where no country dominates others and each state is free from coercion in all its forms. The Quad was "artificially creating tension, inciting confrontation and containing the development of other countries", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing here when asked for his reaction to the joint statement of the foreign ministers of the Quad countries released after the end of their meeting. This is against the global trend of peace and development and stability in the Asia Pacific, Lin said. In a