Top diplomats from Japan, the United States, Australia and India are meeting in Tokyo to discuss security concerns and joint assistance to bolster maritime safety and cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region amid rising tensions with China.
by
Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press
July 28, 2024 at 11:45pm ET
• 3 min read
TOKYO — Diplomats from Japan, the United States, Australia and India met Monday to discuss security concerns and joint efforts to strengthen maritime safety and cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region amid rising tensions with China.
At the meeting hosted by Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko in Tokyo, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmayam Jaishankar are expected to share their strong opposition to China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.
China has raised tensions with many Asia-Pacific nations over its sweeping claims over the South China Sea and its vital maritime trade routes, and says self-ruled Taiwan is its territory that it would annex by force if necessary. China’s military expansion has been criticized for a lack of transparency.
During the so-called “Quad talks,” the ministers are expected to discuss cooperation in combating cyber attacks, countering disinformation and ensuring maritime security, and will also consider helping other countries in the region strengthen their capabilities in those areas.
In his opening statement, Foreign Minister Kamikawa said maritime security in the region is becoming increasingly unstable, and that unity and cooperation among the Quad countries is more necessary than ever to ensure a rules-based, free and open international order.
While Kamikawa did not specifically name China, he said rising tensions in “a certain region” or cyber attacks by “a certain country” could easily spread to other parts of the region, increasing risks.
“For the region to prosper, we need to ensure the stability of the foundations in the maritime, cyber and space domains,” she said. “We, the Quad countries, aim to protect the foundations of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, striving to realize an international community of coexistence and co-prosperity.”
“The region is facing its most challenging situation in decades,” Australia’s Wong said.
She said the Quad countries were committed to a region “governed by accepted rules and norms in which we can all cooperate, trade and prosper” and where “sovereignty is respected and competition is managed responsibly.”
The talks are also expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and other mutual concerns.
Blinken said conflicts taking place in other parts of the world must end, but stressed the importance of events in the Indo-Pacific: “We have not lost sight of it. Rather, we remain resolutely focused on this region that we share.”
The talks came after Japan and the United States held a “2+2” security meeting on Sunday, in which both sides called China their “biggest strategic challenge.” The two countries agreed to further deepen military cooperation by significantly strengthening command structures and increasing Japanese production and repair of U.S.-licensed weapons.
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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Singapore contributed to this report.
