2024-07-30 17:44:48
Tokyo: The foreign ministers of the QUAD alliance of four major countries, including India and the US, formed to crack down on China, met in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, expressing commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong participated in the meeting. The foreign ministers said that the Quad is committed to developing an independent and free maritime system in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
China’s bullying will be curbed
In the meeting, the foreign ministers of the Quad countries gave a clear message to China and agreed that no one’s bullying will be tolerated in the Indo-Pacific. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Quad said, ‘We reaffirm the Quad’s firm commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.’ It was emphasized in Tokyo that all countries will work towards a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
IPMDA will reach the Indian Ocean
In a significant move, the group on Monday announced plans to extend its ambitious Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) programme to the Indian Ocean region. The announcement came amid New Delhi’s concerns over China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said the Quad is committed to developing a free and open maritime order in the Indian and Pacific Oceans in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “In line with such efforts, we intend to extend the IPMDA geographically to the Indian Ocean region,” the statement said.
‘Quad doesn’t just talk’
During the press conference, Jaishankar said that the Quad does not just talk big, but is a platform that talks about delivering meaningful results. He said, ‘The Quad is here to stay, work and move forward for a long time. The Quad is a great contemporary example of reliable partnership and international cooperation.’ He said, ‘The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Program initiative taken today from the Quad plays a role in connecting information centers.’
China got irritated by the Quad meeting
China is irritated by the commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Quad countries. After the meeting, China on Monday accused the countries of the Quad group, including the US and India, of artificially creating tension and provoking confrontation to stop the development of other countries in the Asia Pacific region. When asked for his reaction to the joint statement of the foreign ministers of the Quad countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a press conference that the Quad is ‘artificially creating tension and provoking confrontation to stop the development of other countries.’