Japan to host Quad group meeting next year, says US official

Japan has agreed to host a meeting of the Quad group involving the United States, Australia and India next year, White House coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, said on Friday.

Campbell, speaking at an event of the US Institute of Peace, a Washington think tank, did not explain in detail the type of Quad meeting to be hosted by Japan next year.

Kyodo News reported that diplomatic sources previously indicated that Tokyo has explored the idea of hosting the second in-person Quad summit.

"We'll work with them on timing and to make sure we follow through on what we've committed to, which is extraordinarily important, but also look at new initiatives as well," he said.

If this Quad Summit takes place it would be the first one to be hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

During the first in-person Quad summit in Washington in September, leaders of the four countries committed to a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and agreed to hold a leaders' meeting annually.

Campbell said the Quad is not a "formal alliance" and the current consensus is that "it is appropriate to be considered as an informal gathering."

"I do not believe we will take steps in the near term to institutionalise" the group, he added.