Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIPPartnerships

Quad partners decry South China Sea dangers, chart course for Free and Open Indo-Pacific

Reuters

The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States said they are seriously concerned about intimidating and dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea and pledged to bolster maritime security in the region.

The joint statement came in late July 2024 after talks among the Quad member nations in Tokyo, attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In earlier security talks between Japan and the U.S., the longtime allies labeled the People’s Republic of China (PRC) the “greatest strategic challenge” facing the region.

The Quad ministers’ statement did not mention the PRC. “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,” they stated.

They also expressed concern about the militarization of disputed maritime features and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea, including dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels.

Chinese vessels have repeatedly harassed and blocked Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, although the two countries recently reached a provisional agreement that aims to ease tensions. The Chinese coast guard and maritime militia also have harassed Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese vessels, and obstructed oil and gas operations. Beijing also has increased territorial incursions around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

The Quad members said they are working on 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 establish a maritime legal dialogue.

“We are charting a course for a more secure and open Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region by bolstering maritime security,” Blinken said. “It means strengthening the capacity of partners across the region to know what’s happening in their own waters.”

He said the U.S. will continue working with partners to ensure freedom of navigation and the unimpeded flow of lawful maritime commerce.

The U.S. earlier announced plans 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 threats from the PRC such as its illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous 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,” Kamikawa said.

The Quad members also pledged to advance cooperation in cybersecurity to protect supply chains and critical infrastructure, including undersea cables.

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