The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and India on Monday signaled their deepening concerns about the situation in the East and South China seas, where China has been increasingly assertive, as they reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.
"We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the ministers of the Quad group said in a joint statement issued after their meeting in Tokyo.
Amid clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea, the ministers also listed actions of particular concern in the waters, such as "the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers," as well as "the increasing use of various kinds of dangerous" tactics.
To maintain a free and open maritime order consistent with international law, the four countries announced a plan to bolster efforts to help nations enhance their maritime domain awareness to combat illegal fishing and predict natural disasters. They will also initiate a dialogue on maritime issues from a legal perspective.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa hailed the significance of like-minded countries gathering at a time when "the international order is becoming increasingly uncertain and global affairs even more unforeseeable," touching on the situation in regional waters, North Korea's launch of ballistic missiles and Russia's war in Ukraine.
"From maritime domain awareness to the law enforcement on the ground, we will execute a comprehensive cooperation," Kamikawa said at a joint press announcement attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
"This is a moment of unprecedented strategic alignment among our four countries," Blinken said, while Jaishankar called the Quad "a platform that generates practical outcomes" as he welcomed expanding cooperation in emerging technology, cybersecurity, climate and infrastructure.
To counter cyberattacks, the four countries announced they are establishing a "Quad Cyber Ambassadors Meeting" to discuss responsible behavior in cyberspace and accelerate cyber capacity-building projects, including an international conference in the Philippines. They also committed to addressing disinformation.
While not explicitly named in the joint statement, China, which has criticized the Quad as an Asian version of NATO, quickly reacted to the gathering, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian telling a press conference the group is "creating tension and inciting confrontation."
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have overlapping claims. Recently, Chinese coast guard ships have engaged in aggressive activities against Philippine vessels near disputed shoals, using water cannons and causing injuries to Philippine crew members.
In the East China Sea, Chinese ships have repeatedly entered Japanese territorial waters around the uninhabited Senkaku Islands that are controlled by Tokyo and claimed by Beijing.
The latest statement issued by the foreign ministers of the Quad members added more words to describe their concerns associated with tensions in regional waters than in the joint readout released in their previous meeting in September in New York.
At that time, the Quad foreign ministers called for addressing "challenges to the global maritime rules-based order" in the South and East China seas while expressing "serious concern" about the militarization of disputed features and other acts.
On the war on Ukraine, similar to their previous statement, the four ministers expressed their "deepest concern," including over its "terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences," without specifically mentioning Russia -- a country with which India has traditionally maintained friendly ties.
"Long-standing rules are being bent and twisted or broken...For Australia, this Quad partnership is central to how we respond to the circumstances we face," Wong told the press event.
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