Top diplomats from Japan, US, Australia, India hold Quad talks in Tokyo

Top diplomats from Japan, the US, Australia and India met on Monday to discuss security concerns amid growing tensions with China. 

At a meeting hosted in Tokyo by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmayam Jaishankar were expected to share strong opposition to Beijing’s escalating assertiveness in the South China Sea. 

Joint support to reinforce maritime safety and cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region was also on the agenda. 

China has triggered growing tension with many Asia-Pacific nations with its sweeping claims over the South China Sea and its crucial maritime trade routes. 

It also claims self-governing Taiwan as its territory - to be annexed by force if necessary. China’s military expansion has been criticized for lack of transparency. 

 In what has been dubbed as the “Quad talks,” the four ministers from nations which make up global superpowers in their own right were expected to discuss cooperation on how to maintain their security. 

Kamikawa said in her opening statement that maritime security in the region is increasingly unstable, so unity and cooperation is needed more than ever among the Quad countries.  

Australia’s Wong said they are facing “the most confronting circumstances in our region in decades.”  

The talks were also expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and other shared concerns. 

The talks came after Japan and the United States held their “2+2” security meeting Sunday, when they called China “the greatest strategic challenge.” 

They agreed on further deepening military cooperation by making major upgrades to their command structures and