Washington, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Quad foreign ministers discussed tensions in the East China Sea and South China Sea on Saturday, with Japan’s foreign minister opposing unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion and all four countries expressing concern about economic pressure on critical supply chains.
The discussions took place in Atlanta, where External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said the ministers held candid discussions on developments across the Indo-Pacific, including the two seas, as well as the Middle East. It said they aligned their perspectives on the regional situation.
Motegi expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
The Japanese ministry attributed that position specifically to Motegi. Neither it nor the accompanying Quad joint release explicitly named China.
The four ministers collectively expressed concern about economic coercion, including arbitrary export restrictions and non-market policies and practices that create overcapacity and disrupt global supply chains in critical industries.
Their joint release recorded “grave concerns regarding economic coercion, including through arbitrary export restrictions”.
They reaffirmed their commitment to reliable and open global supply chains and trusted, resilient infrastructure. They also placed economic security alongside the grouping’s wider objectives of regional stability and prosperity.
The joint statement did not identify particular export restrictions, products or governments in its passage on economic coercion.
Motegi also emphasised Japan’s commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea and the importance of addressing malicious cyber activities.
He expressed appreciation for the consistent support of India, Australia and the United States towards an immediate resolution of the abductions issue, according to Japan’s ministry.
On the Middle East, the joint statement stressed the need to protect and preserve navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The ministers underlined the importance of critical sea lanes, uninterrupted commerce and energy security. They called for unhindered passage and the safety of maritime crews and vessels without the imposition of tolls.
They said navigational rights should be protected in accordance with international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Japan said the ministers reaffirmed that they would steadily advance practical Quad cooperation towards a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Their work would focus on four priority areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.
Motegi described the Atlanta meeting as an opportunity to demonstrate the results of practical cooperation, particularly in the economic field, according to the Japanese ministry.
It was the third Quad foreign ministers’ meeting this year, following meetings in May and July.
The ministers looked forward to the next Quad leaders’ summit and foreign ministers’ meeting. Japan said they agreed to maintain close coordination within the grouping.
China and Japan have a longstanding territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea administered by Japan as the Senkaku Islands and claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu Islands. The dispute is a recurring source of tension in their relationship.
Source: IANS
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