Blinken to hold virtual 'Quad' meeting with Australia, India, Japan

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks speaks during a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet virtually on Thursday with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India in the "Quad" framework, a grouping seen as part of efforts to balance China's growing military and economic power.

The meeting, announced by State Department spokesman Ned Price at a regular briefing on Wednesday, will be the first of the informal group under the Biden administration that took office on Jan. 20, although it has discussed its future role in bilateral calls with members since then.