US, Australia, India, Japan to discuss China’s growing power

TOKYO (AP) — Foreign ministers from four Indo-Pacific nations known as the Quad group are gathering in Tokyo for talks that Japan hopes will increase their involvement in a regional initiative aimed at countering China’s growing assertiveness. The talks are the first in-person meeting of the officials from the U.S., Australia, India and Japan since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. Japan and the U.S. have been pushing for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” initiative to bri