South China Sea issue of 'great concern' for Quad: S Jaishankar

UPDATED: Jul 3, 2025 06:44 IST

The world’s most watched waterway just got a fresh show of solidarity. At the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made it clear: the South China Sea isn’t just murky geopolitics — it is a shared concern and a common priority for India, the US, Australia, and Japan.

“On South China Sea, there was some discussion as it is an issue of great concern... how to ensure that it stays calm and free of conflict is something which is a common priority,” Jaishankar told reporters following the high-level meeting.

The comments were backed by a sharply worded Quad joint statement, which took direct aim at rising tensions and aggressive manoeuvres in the disputed waters. The ministers strongly opposed “any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

In a rare level of detail, the joint statement cited specific provocations: interference with offshore resource development, obstruction of navigation and overflight, and “unsafe use of water cannons,” ramming incidents, and harassment by maritime militia.

“These actions threaten peace and stability in the region,” the Quad said. “We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features.”

"We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous manoeuvres by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea," the statement read.

"These actions threaten peace and stability in the region. We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features. We emphasise the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," it added.

- Ends

(With inputs from ANI)

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