Quad foreign ministers decry dangerous South China Sea actions
Quad Foreign ministers (Australia, India, Japan, United States) said on Monday they were seriously concerned about intimidating and dangerous manoeuvres in the South China Sea and pledged to bolster maritime security in the region.
The joint statement was issued following discussions in Tokyo among Australia's Penny Wong, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japan's Yoko Kamikawa, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
During security talks between the U.S. and Japan on Sunday, the two nations identified China as the "greatest strategic challenge" in the region.
The ministers stated, "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," without explicitly naming China.
They also voiced serious concerns over the militarization of disputed areas and aggressive maneuvers in the South China Sea, including the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels.
In recent months, Chinese vessels have repeatedly clashed with Philippine ships attempting to resupply troops at the contested Second Thomas Shoal. However, in July, China and the Philippines reached a provisional agreement to reduce tensions.
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