Leaders of the United States, Australia, India, and Japan, released a lengthy joint statement on Friday declaring their commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific” that is “unaudited by coercion” amid continued efforts from communist China to wrestle influence over the globe. The statement from leaders of “the Quad,” or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, was released shortly after their first ever in-person meeting, which lasted two hours at the White House in Washington, D.C. The Quad was originally established in 2007 and has periodically met since. The strategic dialogue between the democratic countries is widely viewed as a response to communist China’s rising economic and military power. While China was not mentioned in the latest joint statement, it plays a big part in the private talks, reported The Associated Press. “On this historic occasion we recommit to our partnership, and to a region that is a bedrock of our shared security and …