It was perhaps a coincidence, but it captured the mood of the moment.
In his first engagement with the international community after being sworn in as Secretary of State, Marko Rubio hosted the foreign ministers of India, Japan and Australia, for a meeting of the quad, the mechanism that unites the four countries and that is becoming increasingly important. At the end of the meeting the four foreign ministers issued a short statement:
We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Washington D.C. to reaffirm our 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. Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.
We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India.
Secretary of State Rubio also had bilateral meetings with the three visiting foreign ministers.
