Quad FMs send ‘strong’ signal to China

ISLAMABAD: In a move sending a strong signal to China, the foreign ministers of the US, Australia, Japan and India, constituting the Quad countries, in a joint statement strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.

Soon after he was sworn in by Vice President J D Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Penny Wong from Australia, Japan’s Iwaya Takeshi and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat. The ministers reconfirmed the Quad Leadership Summit in India later this year after about an hour meeting.

India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders’ Summit. It was earlier supposed to be held in India in 2024, but then US President Joe Biden was keen to hold the event in Wilmington.

“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 people of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” a joint statement issued by the Quad countries said.

The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, Japan, the United States and India, committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.