Quad ministers pledge to build reliable global supply chains
Foreign ministers from the US, Australia, India and Japan expressed concerns over economic coercion and export restrictions.
Foreign ministers from the US, Australia, India and Japan pledged on Saturday to build reliable global supply chains, according to the Hindustan Times. The ministers expressed grave concerns regarding economic coercion, including non-market practices and arbitrary export restrictions that can disrupt critical industries.
The Quad ministers reiterated their support for a free and open Indo-Pacific. They noted that economic security is vital for global stability and prosperity. The group also stressed the necessity of protecting navigational rights in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Strait of Hormuz.
The group announced it would provide over $85 million to assist with trusted artificial intelligence technologies in the Indo-Pacific. They also plan to start an initiative to find vulnerabilities in semiconductor supply chains to prevent future disruptions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad is not an anti-China or anti-anybody coalition. He noted that the joint statement addresses activities that have been coming repetitively from one country. Rubio also mentioned a $20 million project in Palau to improve digital infrastructure.
This was the third meeting of the Quad foreign ministers this year. Plans are being made for US President Donald Trump to attend a formal meeting of the four leaders next month in Manila during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference.