Quad nations to oppose South China Sea militarization in Tokyo talks

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are expected to express opposition to the militarization of the South China Sea when they meet in Tokyo later this month, diplomatic sources said Saturday, a message that comes amid China's growing assertiveness in the region.

The ministers from the four-way grouping, known as the Quad, are also expected to agree to establish a dialogue framework involving law experts as part of efforts to maintain and reinforce the maritime rules-based order, according to the sources.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are expected to attend the gathering scheduled for July 29. It will be the first Quad foreign ministerial talks since September.

The statement issued in September called for addressing "challenges" in the South and East China seas, but the message from the upcoming meeting is expected to include tougher expressions over the issue in light of a series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea.

The sources said arrangements are being made to stipulate in the statement that the Quad members will continue to express opposition to the militarization of the South China Sea, as well as coercive and threatening actions there.

The ministers will also voice grave concerns about the situations in the East and South China seas and oppose any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion while reaffirming their cooperation toward a "free and open Indo-Pacific," the sources said.

Beijing has been militarizing outposts in disputed areas of the resource-rich South China Sea, where the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei have overlapping claims.

China has also been making repeated incursions into territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands, a group of Japan-controlled islets in the East China Sea, which Beijing claims and calls Diaoyu.

As for cybersecurity, the Quad ministers will likely agree to launch a representatives meeting to discuss ways to counter cyberattacks and hold an international conference on the issue. They will also present a united response against disinformation.

Amid the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence, the ministers will highlight the necessity of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems, in line with the "Hiroshima AI Process," launched in the wake of last year's Group of Seven summit hosted by Japan to promote international rule-making for advanced AI systems, the sources said.