China Remains a Focus of Concern for Quad Officials: Experts

Although China was not explicitly mentioned, it was a main focus at the group’s recent meeting amid continued tensions in the South China Sea, experts said.

(L to R) Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken take part in a press conference after the QUAD Ministerial Meeting at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo on July 29, 2024. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Aug. 11 accused China of “unjustified, illegal and reckless” behavior after Chinese planes flew dangerously close to a Philippine Air Force plane earlier this month. The encounter came almost two weeks after the Quad nations—the United States, Japan, Australia, and India—expressed concern about “coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea.”

In Tokyo on July 29 for their annual meeting, the foreign ministers of the Quad nations—Quad is short for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue—discussed a wide range of issues. However, based on officials’ messaging, their central focus was on China, experts told The Epoch Times.

The Epoch Times spoke with China experts from Japan, India, and the United States about the annual event. They agreed that the focus on China in the meeting stemmed from the Quad’s fundamental objective, which is to contest Chinese domination in the Indo-Pacific.