Quad foreign ministers decry dangerous South China Sea actions
Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States said they were seriously concerned about dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea.
TOKYO — Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States said Monday that they were 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 after talks among the so-called 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.
In security talks between the U.S. and Japan on Sunday, the two allies labeled China the “greatest strategic challenge, facing the region.
“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, which did not directly mention China.
They also 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.
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