FALCON POWERS – Foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States expressed deep concern on Monday over the coercive and dangerous military exercises in the South China Sea and pledged to enhance maritime security in the region.
This came in a joint statement after talks among the so-called “Quad” countries in Tokyo, attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, their Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In a U.S.-Japan security meeting on Sunday, the two ally countries described China as the “greatest strategic challenge” facing the region.
The four ministers, without directly naming China, said in the statement: “We express serious concern about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.”
They also voiced grave concern over the militarization of disputed areas in the South China Sea and “coercive and intimidating” military activities, including the “dangerous use” of coast guard vessels and “maritime militia.”
In recent months, Chinese ships have repeatedly clashed with Philippine vessels trying to resupply troops on the contested Scarborough Shoal, but the two countries reached a temporary agreement in July to ease tensions.
The Quad group said it was working on a series of initiatives aimed at preserving the “free and open maritime order,” including helping partners through training and capacity building. They also announced plans to launch a new maritime dialogue.
Blinken told reporters after the meeting: “We are charting a course for a region of the Indo-Pacific that is more secure and open through enhanced maritime security.”
