QUAD foreign ministers concerned about East and South China sea situation

The Foreign ministers of the QUAD nations met in Washington, DC, on July 1 to reaffirm their steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed concern about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

The four leaders reiterated their strong opposition to any unilateral actions that attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion. Foreign Ministers expressed concern regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea.

These actions threaten peace and stability in the region. We are seriously concerned by the militarization of disputed features. We emphasize 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)," it added.

The four leaders reaffirmed that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and as per international law and reiterated that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016, is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.