Top diplomats from Japan, the U.S., Australia, and India — known as the Quad— recently met in Tokyo. The meeting focused on addressing growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in maritime areas.
Key points from the meeting include:
1. The diplomats expressed concern about tensions in regional seas and opposed unilateral changes to the status quo through coercion.
2. They noted issues such as militarization of disputed features and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea, though they avoided explicitly naming China.
3. The Quad agreed on initiatives to counter cyberattacks, ensure maritime security, and combat disinformation.
4. They announced expanded support for Southeast Asian and Pacific island countries to improve their capabilities in these areas.
5. A maritime legal dialogue will be launched to focus on international maritime law.
6. The partnership is expanding to include the Indian Ocean to enhance maritime domain awareness.
7. Specific initiatives include supporting secure telecommunications in Palau and building cybersecurity capacity in the Philippines and India.
8. The diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to developing resilient infrastructure such as undersea cables.
The article highlights the Quad’s emphasis on maintaining freedom of navigation, overflight, and unimpeded lawful maritime commerce in the region. It also mentions ongoing tensions with China, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea and with Taiwan, though China is not directly named in the joint statement.
The meeting occurred against a backdrop of other diplomatic engagements, including:
1. A Japan-U.S. “2+2” security meeting, where China was called “the greatest strategic challenge.”
2. Plans for Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to visit the Philippines for similar security talks.
3. Separate talks between Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on bilateral military cooperation.
The article also touches on Japan’s accelerating military buildup and efforts to strengthen its arms industry, including easing restrictions on arms exports. It mentions a recent deal to sell Japanese-made Patriot missiles to the U.S., marking the first case of finished weapons approved for export by Japan’s National Security Council.
The meeting underscores the Quad’s efforts to counter growing regional tensions, particularly in maritime areas, and to strengthen partnerships with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We are committed to putting our collective resources, our collective strength to work to benefit people across the region that we share,” Blinken told a joint news conference after the talks.
