Top diplomats from ¡°the Quad¡± grouping of Japan, Australia, India and the U.S. on Wednesday singled out maritime security as a key issue for Southeast Asian nations amid rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

¡°We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region,¡± Quad diplomats said in a joint statement released after a meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila.

The foreign ministers¡¯ meeting ¡ª the fourth to bring together Japan¡¯s Toshimitsu Motegi, Australia¡¯s Penny Wong, India¡¯s S. Jaishankar and U.S. Secretary of ?State Marco Rubio since January 2025 ¡ª came just days after Manila and Beijing clashed in the South China Sea.?