The Quad foreign ministers’ meet the first significant foreign policy event after Trump’s inauguration

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

n a message to China on its attempts to use coercive tactics in the South China Sea to assert its territorial claims, the foreign ministers of the Quad countries strongly opposed the move and said India, the US, Japan and Australia were committed to upholding international law.

The Quad foreign ministers met at Washington DC on Tuesday, a day after Donald Trump took over as the US President, making the Quad foreign ministers’ meet the first significant foreign policy event.

A joint statement put out by the US State Department talked about how the four nations planned to take forward the Quad. “Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.

In a reference to China, the statement said, “We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force.”

It said, “We reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended.”

These blunt messages from the Quad foreign ministers to China come as Beijing is using coercive tactics at sea, primarily in the South China Sea, to assert its territorial claims and influence regional dynamics. These tactics include operations by a ‘maritime militia’ to intimidate and harass other countries’ fishing boats and coast guard vessels within disputed waters.

Chinese Coast Guard has been involved in aggressive manoeuvres, including ramming and water cannon attacks, against vessels from other countries operating in areas claimed by China.

China claims vast swathes of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of several other countries, leading to frequent confrontations. A code of conduct is being discussed among six countries—the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei—that are party to the maritime boundary dispute in the South China Sea. These countries have been discussing a code of conduct forced upon the claimants by China that did not accept a UN verdict on the demarcation of the maritime boundary.

Meanwhile, in Washington DC, the Quad foreign ministers said they are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains.

“We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad leaders’ summit hosted by India,” the statement said.

The Quad foreign ministers’ meet was the first for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi were present at the meeting.

S Jaishankar posted on X, “The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good.”

He said it is significant that the Quad foreign ministers’ meet took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration, adding, “This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states.”