The president has often said that “all politics is personal,” and on Saturday he opened his home in Wilmington to the leaders of Australia, India and Japan.

The official noted that the Quad met at foreign minister level under the previous administration of Donald Trump, who is running against Vice President Kamala Harris in November, andenjoyed bipartisan support, as reflected by the formation of a congressional Quad Caucus ahead of the summit.

President Joe Biden is spending the final months of his term tightening the screws on China, capping an approach that has seen him carry out a difficult juggling act in office to counter the world’s second largest economy.