Quad opposes any unilateral actions seeking to change status quo by force or coercion

WASHINGTON: In a move sending a strong signal to China, foreign ministers from Quad countries have strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday hosted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat.

After the hour-long meeting, the four ministers reconfirmed the Quad Leadership Summit in India later this year.

India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders Summit. In 2024, the Quad Leaders Summit was supposed to be held in India, but then US President Joe Biden was keen to hold the event in Wilmington.

A joint statement issued after the Quad foreign ministers' meeting reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended.

"Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the people of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," it said.

The US, India, Japan and Australia compose the Quad, a four-way grouping. They have been stepping up cooperation in various fields such as defence and energy, amid China's increasing military and economic clout in the region.

"We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains," the statement said.

"We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India," it said.

China claims most of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims. China also claims sovereignty over the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, claimed by Japan.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Wednesday said that China's activities in relevant waters are "lawful, legitimate and completely justified”.

Responding to a question on the Quad ministers' meeting, she reiterated her opposition to the grouping, saying China has always advocated that cooperation among countries should not target any third party.

“Engaging in group politics and bloc confrontation will not bring lasting peace and security, and is not conducive to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world as a whole,” she said.

“We hope that relevant parties will do more things that help enhance mutual trust and cooperation between countries,” she said.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said that the Quad foreign ministers' meeting sent a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good.

"Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states," he posted on X.

"Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration," he added.

In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the "Quad" to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence amid China's aggressive behaviour in the region.