Quad Foreign Ministers Reassert Vision for a ‘Free and Open’ Indo-Pacific

The Quad Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their unshakeable resolve to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific, strongly rejecting all efforts to change the regional status quo by use of force or coercion.

"We reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.". As four major maritime powers in the Indo-Pacific, we stand in common commitment to the belief that maritime peace and stability are the foundation of the security and prosperity of the region. We believe in a region where all nations are free from coercion and staunchly oppose any action that attempts to alter the status quo through coercion or force," the ministers declared in their joint statement after meeting in Washington on Wednesday.

The gathering convened U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. The leaders convened in the American capital on Tuesday (local time) to discuss regional dynamics and explore means to further enhance the Quad's combined efforts in fostering peace, stability, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific by closely working with regional stakeholders.

In a bid to increase the Quad's long-term strategic impact, the ministers announced a new sharpened agenda based on four key pillars: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and resilience, drive forward critical and emerging technologies, and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. To assure the Quad's long-term impact, we are happy to announce today a new, bold, and robust agenda in four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic security and prosperity, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. By this renewed emphasis, we will refine the Quad's capacity to utilize our resources to meet the region's most urgent challenges," the statement stated.

The joint statement also reaffirmed the group's firm support for current regional architectures, emphasizing continued engagement with ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). "The partnership with and support for ASEAN and its centrality and unity, the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific-led regional groupings, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) remain unshakeable," the statement read.

Although they did not mention China by name, the foreign ministers of the Quad spoke with deep concern over the rising employment of force and coercion in the seas like the East and South China Seas. "We remain deeply concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reaffirm our strong opposition to any coercive or forceful unilateral actions that aim to alter the status quo.". We convey our grave concerns about harmful and threatening actions, such as meddling in offshore resource exploration, repeated interruption of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and harmful maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia ships, particularly the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking measures in the South China Sea," they said.

While China was not named, the actions detailed reflected earlier incidents with Chinese ships and planes in conflict with the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, and Malaysia over offshore oil drilling and sea borders.

The Quad leaders cautioned that such conduct threatens regional stability and peace and criticized the militarization of disputed maritime features. With an emphasis on compliance with international norms, the ministers underscored the value of ensuring protection for navigation rights and lawful maritime customs.

We stress the value of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight, other legitimate uses of the sea, and indeed unfettered commerce in accordance with international law, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).". We reiterate that maritime disputes need to be peacefully and in accordance with international law resolved, and reaffirm the award made by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016, is a landmark and the foundation for the peaceful resolution of disputes between parties," they added.

In a move to increase the Quad's preparedness in responding to regional disasters, the ministers also agreed to hold the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise this year. The project will enhance joint airlift capacity and optimize the group's logistical capacities to augment more effective delivery of relief in disaster-stricken zones in a more efficient and timely manner.

The Quad leaders reaffirmed at the end their common vision for an open and secure Indo-Pacific and their commitment to deepening cooperation to effectively tackle the region's emerging opportunities and challenges in the coming decades.