India’s PM Modi and US’ President Joe Biden may meet soon, virtually.

In an interesting development at an international level, the bother over China is likely to bring four nations, India, US, Australia and Japan - on the same table for a talk to counter China and its alleged arbitrary ways of operations.

In this regard, the initiative has been taken by the Australian Prime Minister Scot Morrison today. He has announced a ‘Quad’ meeting with four Quad nations – Japan, Australia, India and the US.

The "Quad" or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is an informal strategic forum of the US, Japan, Australia, and India. The forum was initiated as a dialogue in August 2007 by the then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on "seas of freedom and prosperity", with the support of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, Vice President Dick Cheney of the US and Prime Minister John Howard of Australia. It was revived in 2017 as a buffer against Beijing.

The Quad remains a strong focus for the four nations that have each had conflicts with China in recent years.

The virtual meeting between PM Modi, US’ President Joe Biden, Australia’s PM Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga, the Prime Minister of Japan is likely to take place soon, though there is no official confirmation of the date and timings yet.

This could be PM Modi's first meeting with Biden since he took over as US President in November, even though they spoke on the phone after the Democrat victory.

There is no official confirmation from the Prime Minister's Office yet. However, the Australian PM announced they will all be present together as the four nations meet in continuing efforts to counter China's influence.

"It will be the first ever such gathering. I have already had bilateral discussions about this with Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga, the Prime Minister of Japan, and of course the Prime Minister of India. And of course we're looking forward to those discussions and follow-up face-to-face meetings as well," according to Bloomberg.

"It will be four leaders, four countries, working together constructively for the peace, prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific," Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney. Australia’s trade experienced a low after an uneasy relations with China.

Mr. Morrison said he had discussed arrangements with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in recent weeks and that he expected the talks would be followed by face-to-face meetings.

"The Quad is very central to the United States and our thinking about the region, and looking at the Indo-Pacific also through the prism of our Asean partners and their vision of the Indo-Pacific," Mr. Morrison stated. Notably, in the wake of the US Indian citizens along with natives’ protests against India’s political mal-treatment to minorities and famers’ agitation of late, as much as not stopping China as it occupied quite a space inside Indian territories, infuriating the defence forces, it needs to be seen how the two take up the issues, sidelining the shouting silence over these issues. This is to be remembered that the PM Modi’s and President Biden's first conversation took place on the phone on February 8, days after he was sworn in on January 20. The two leaders had discussed that they would continue to cooperate and promote a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and committed to strengthen regional architecture through the Quad.

They also agreed to continue close cooperation on climate change, terrorism, and freedom of navigation. "The President underscored his desire to defend democratic institutions and norms around the world and noted that a shared commitment to “democratic values” is the bedrock for the US-India relationship," the White House had made it clear in its readout, of the call.

Democratic values, therefore, is the key word, India needs to pay heed to.