Newsman: Quad foreign ministers said they were seriously concerned about intimidating and dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea and pledged to bolster maritime security in the region. In security talks between the U.S. and Japan on Sunday, the two allies labeled China the “greatest strategic challenge” facing the region.
Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States on Monday in a joint statement expressed serious concern about the militarization of disputed features and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea, including dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels.
“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 said in the statement, without directly mentioning the name China.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing on Monday, the Quad was “artificially creating tension, inciting confrontation and containing the development of other countries.”
The joint statement came after talks among the Quad countries in Tokyo, attended by Australia’s Penny Wong, India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japan’s Yoko Kamikawa and Antony Blinken from the U.S.
The Quad group said they were working on a series of initiatives to maintain “the free and open maritime order” including helping partners improve domain awareness via satellite data, training and capacity building. They also announced a plan to set up a new maritime legal dialogue.
“We are charting a course for a more secure and open Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region by bolstering maritime security,” The US secretary of state Antony Blinken said in remarks to reporters after the meeting. Blinken and Austin set to hold security talks with another Asian ally, the Philippines after leaving Tokyo, as the Biden administration seeks to counter an increasingly bold China
“In practical terms what does this mean? It means strengthening the capacity of partners across the region to know what’s happening in their own waters,” Secretary Blinken added.
He said the U.S. would continue to work with its partners to ensure freedom of navigation and the unimpeded flow of lawful maritime commerce.
The U.S. announced plans on Sunday for a major revamp of its military command in Japan. It was among several measures announced by the allies to address what they said was an “evolving security environment,” noting various threats from China including its muscular maritime activities.
“Uncertainty surrounding the international order as well as the international situation has been increasing with Russia continuing its aggression in Ukraine, attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and the launch of ballistic missiles by North Korea,” Japan’s Kamikawa said after the talks.
The Quad ministers also pledged to advance cooperation in cybersecurity to protect supply chains and critical infrastructure, including undersea cables.
