Biden interrupts talks only to praise Modi; countries laud India at Quad summit; China is a failure, says US President

TOKYO: US President Joe Biden lauded Prime Minister Modi at the Quad summit. Biden praised Modi for India’s successful handling of Covid pandemic.

“Modi's success has shown the world that democracies can deliver, and busted the myth that autocracies like China and Russia can handle the rapidly-changing world better because their leadership can take and implement decisions without going through lengthy democratic processes,” Biden said.

According to official sources, Biden’s remarks were unscripted. He had made a special intervention to praise Modi amid the talks.

Biden also contrasted India’s successful handling of the pandemic with China’s failure, though both countries are of comparable size.

“Vaccines supplied by India to other countries made a difference on the ground, and such success is more valuable than just winning a theoretical debate of ideas,” said newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also appreciated India’s contribution and recalled that Indian-made vaccines delivered under the Quad Vaccine Initiative were received with gratitude in Thailand and Cambodia recently.