ISTANBUL, July 29 — The foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries today expressed “serious” concern over the situation in the East and South China Seas, according to a joint statement issued at the end of their meeting in Tokyo, Anadolu Agency reported.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa hosted her counterparts Antony Blinken from the United States, Penny Wong from Australia, and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar from India.
Without naming China, the four foreign ministers reiterated their “strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion”.
The United States-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad, is a loose security alliance between the four nations.
The statement also expressed “serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating manoeuvre in the South China Sea”.
“We also express our serious concern about the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, the increasing use of various kinds of dangerous manoeuvres, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities,” it added.
— Bernama
