Ajay Banerjee
New Delhi, January 22
Amid China’s increasing activities and aggressive stance in the South China Sea, the foreign ministers of the ‘quad’ countries made it clear that they would ‘strongly oppose’ any unilateral attempt to change the current situation in the region. The four countries included in the ‘Quad’, India, America, Japan and Australia, said that they are committed to uphold international laws. A day after the swearing-in ceremony of President Donald Trump, the foreign ministers of the ‘Quad’ met in Washington DC on Tuesday. The new foreign minister of America Marco Rubio, India’s S. Jaishankar, Australia’s Penny Wong and Japan’s Iwaya Takeshi were included in the meeting. The ‘Quad’ foreign ministers have given this clear message to China at a time when Beijing is using coercive tactics at sea, especially in the South China Sea, to influence its territorial claims and regional dynamics. These tactics include intimidation and harassment of other countries’ fishing boats and coast guard vessels through ‘maritime militias’ in disputed waters.
In a joint statement issued by the US State Department, the plan to take the ‘Quad’ forward by the four countries was explained. The statement said, “Our four countries’ trust in each other reflects the development and prosperity of the people of the Indo-Pacific, including international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability and security in all areas, including the maritime region.” “We oppose any unilateral action that seeks to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the statement was quoted as saying. We reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld,” the ‘Quad’ Foreign Ministers said. That they are committed to promoting reliable and resilient supply chains while strengthening regional maritime, economic and technological security in the face of increasing threats. “We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet regularly in preparation for the next Quad leaders’ summit to be hosted by India,” he said.
