Quad Slams Aggressive Moves in South China Sea; Jaishankar Calls It a ‘Serious Concern’

The busiest maritime corridor in the world has attracted renewed global focus, with the Quad countries of India, the United States, Australia, and Japan expressing strong commitment to peace and stability in the South China Sea while holding their Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Washington, D.C.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who attended the high-level meeting on behalf of India, stressed the commonalities in concern about the strategic waterway. "On South China Sea, there was some discussion because it is a matter of high concern. how to keep it calm and conflict-free is something which is a common priority," Jaishankar informed reporters following the meeting.

This mood was echoed in a sharp joint statement by the four-nation bloc, which strongly denounced increasing tensions and aggressive postures in the region. The Quad strongly rejected "any unilateral actions aiming to alter the existing status quo by means of coercion or force."

In a very frank tone, the statement enumerated acts of provocative conduct, such as interference with offshore petroleum exploration, impediments to navigation and overflight, and the "unsafe use of water cannons," and ramming and harassment by maritime militias.

"These actions threaten peace and stability in the region," the statement asserted. "We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features."

The Quad also reiterated concern at growing developments in the South and East China Seas, affirming their opposition to unilateral efforts at changing the balance of power in the region. "We reaffirm our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by coercion or force," the statement said.

Referring to a broad spectrum of disconcerting behavior, the communiqué continued to observe: "We declare our grave concerns about hazardous and provocative behavior, such as interference with offshore resource exploitation, the repeated denial of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and hazardous manoeuvring by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia ships, particularly the unsafe operation of water cannons and ramming or blockage maneuvers in the South China Sea."

Quad underlined that the behavior in question immediately imperils the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific. To conclude, the statement highlighted the importance of preserving maritime freedoms: "We emphasise the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."

The message from Washington was unambiguous: the South China Sea is not only a hot spot, but a shared priority of the Quad, as all four countries came together in demanding respect for international norms and a rules-based maritime order.