Washington, Oct 17 (IANS) A group of bipartisan US lawmakers has written to President Donald Trump, urging him to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit in India and other meetings in Asia.

Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led the effort, and the co-signers include Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, Young Kim and Ami Bera, and Chairman and Ranking Member of the South and Central Asia Subcommittee, Bill Huizenga and Sydney Kamlager-Dove.

“The Indo-Pacific is vital to America’s security and prosperity and remains at the centre of our strategic competition with China. As Beijing aggressively expands its influence in the region, your personal attendance at three critical multilateral summits this fall is essential to demonstrate US leadership and counter China’s ambitions — the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Malaysia, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea, and a Quad Leaders’ Summit in India,” the letter said.

It also called the Quad grouping, the “cornerstone” for advancing US interests.

“Our Quad partnership with Australia, Japan, and India serves as the cornerstone for advancing our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific,” it added.

The letter follows an amendment by Democratic Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove in the Department of State Policy Provisions Act, urging Trump to “continue his leadership in the Quad and personally attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit” later this year.

The amendment was passed by a voice vote and is now part of the Bill that would be taken up for a vote in the US House of Representatives soon.

In an interview with IANS in early October, Kamlager-Dove called the Quad Summit “incredibly important” and highlighted her amendment.

“Why do you have to tell a President to participate in and to attend a Quad Leadership Summit? That’s about unity with our partners across the Indo-Pacific,” she said.

Trump was scheduled to attend the Quad Summit in November in India, but it is likely to be rescheduled early next year.

The bipartisan letter said that US partners in the region are seeking America’s leadership, and America should demonstrate that it “remains committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

“Your participation in these summits would be a powerful response to Chinese President Xi’s diplomatic campaign, reassuring allies and reaffirming America’s leadership in the region. We urge you to announce your decision to attend these summits as soon as possible,” it noted.

The letter comes days after 19 lawmakers wrote to Trump urging him to “reset and repair” the India-US “critical partnership”.

The Congress members warned that the President’s recent tariff hikes, which raised duties on Indian goods to as high as 50 per cent, have undermined relations with India and hurt both American consumers and manufacturers.

“We write as members of Congress representing districts with large, vibrant Indian-American communities that maintain strong familial, cultural, and economic ties to India. Recent actions by your administration have strained relations with the world’s largest democracy, creating negative consequences for both countries. We urge you to take immediate steps to reset and repair this critical partnership,” they noted.

–IANS

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