Quad foreign ministers decry South China Sea militarization

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday met his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India in Tokyo for talks to shore up maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

The grouping that brings together the US, Japan, Australia and India, known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, dates back to the early 2000s.

But the informal club, simply known as Quad, has gained increasing prominence in recent years amid efforts to counter China's growing presence and clout in the Indo-Pacific. 

Without naming China directly, the group issued a statement after their talks saying:  "We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion."

"We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea," they added, also condemning North Korea's "destabilizing" missile launches.

Later on Monday, Bejing accused the US and Japan of creating "imaginary enemies" and warned the two countries to stop meddling in internal Chinese affairs.

A focus to contain China's power in the Indo-Pacific

In opening remarks at the meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was clear that the region was being reshaped, along with the wider world.

"We all understand we face the most confronting circumstances in our region in decades," Wong said.

"We all cherish the region's peace, stability and prosperity and we all know it is not a given, we all know we can't take it for granted," she added.

Blinken said that conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and South Sudan have understandably gained a lot of global attention, adding: "But even as we're doing what we need to do, what we must to try to bring these conflicts to an end… we have not lost sight and indeed we are resolutely focused on this region that we share."

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa highlighted the need to build up cybersecurity capabilities and provide training opportunities to shore up maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

Tokyo and Washington view China as greatest 'strategic challenge'

The quad talks follow security discussions between Tokyo and Washington on Sunday where the allies labeled China the greatest "strategic challenge" facing the region.

The US also announced plans on Sunday for a major revamp of its military command in Japan to deepen coordination with its ally's forces.

Blinken, who is on an alliance-boosting trip to Asia until August 3, met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos on Saturday and reiterated that Washington wants to maintain a "free and open Indo-Pacific," according to a US readout of the meeting.

After leaving Tokyo, Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin will hold security talks with the Philippines, an ally of the US that has been increasingly at odds with China over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. 

rm,es/rc (Reuters, AFP)