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On his first full day in office on Tuesday, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held the first Quad ministerial meeting with Australia, India and Japan and jointly warned against changing the status quo in Indo-Pacific via coercive actions, in a veiled but clear warning to China over its actions at sea. This was the first meeting of top diplomats of the China-focused grouping since Trump returned to the White House.
Rubio met with his counterparts Australia's Penny Wong, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya in Washington. In a joint statement, the four nations restated their "shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended."
"We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the statement said an apparent reference to the threat that China will act on its claim to sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan.
The ministers also confirmed they would work to hold a Quad summit previously scheduled for this year in India, which would mean an early trip by Trump to the growing US partner often viewed in Washington as a bulwark against China.
"Significant that the Quad (foreign ministers' meeting) took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration," Jaishankar said on X after the meeting.
"This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states," he added.
Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong & Takeshi Iwaya for their participation.
Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This… pic.twitter.com/uGa4rjg1Bw
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025
China has repeatedly lashed out at the Quad -- a grouping envisioned by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and expanded into a leaders' summit by former President Joe Biden-- saying it is a US plot to encircle the rising Asian power.
The Quad grouping met many times during the administration of former President Joe Biden, with a focus on Beijing's military and economic activities in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea where US allies have pushed back against Beijing's territorial claims.
Trump's China Push Back
Meanwhile, Rubio also met separately with the three foreign ministers on Tuesday. Trump officials were working on scheduling another gathering of the foreign ministers at the White House as well, news agency Reuters reported quoting a person involved in planning meetings.
China has had rising friction with the Philippines, a US ally, over its assertive claims in territorial disputes. The four countries-- US, India, Japan and Australia-- share concerns about China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific region and analysts said the meeting was designed to signal that countering Beijing is a top priority for Trump--who has vowed to push back against a rising China.
Rubio also, in his confirmation hearing, vowed to deter China against an invasion of Taiwan, the self-governing democracy it claims as its own. The Republican senator earlier said he would stress the importance of working with allies "on the things that are important to America and Americans" during the meeting.