WASHINGTON: Australia, the US, Japan, and India plan to hold joint patrols in the Indo-Pacific to monitor ships in the waters where they accuse China of showing dominance.
The patrols by the coast guards of the four states, bound in an alliance called the Quad, are also aimed at fighting illegal fishing in these waters, Japan’s Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.
A joint statement in this regard is likely to be issued on Saturday in Delaware, US President Joe Biden’s hometown where he is hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a Quad summit.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “will focus on bolstering the strategic convergence among our countries, advancing our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and delivering concrete benefits for partners in the Indo-Pacific in key areas”.
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Patrols by ships of the Quad coast guards will focus on the South China Sea and its surrounding waters where competing claims of sovereignty have led to a conflict between China and some other countries.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. The joint patrols will be conducted on a rotational basis, next year. This is the final Quad meeting for Biden and Kishida who are leaving offices at the end of their current tenures.
Initially formed to coordinate humanitarian aid in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Quad was resurrected in 2017 as a strategic alliance to counter China.
