中国念頭、現状変更に「反対」　海洋秩序で協力―日米豪印外相

　日本、米国、オーストラリア、インド４カ国の枠組み「クアッド」は２９日、東京都内で外相会合を開いた。東・南シナ海で覇権主義的な動きを強める中国を念頭に、海洋秩序の維持・強化に向けた協力で一致。力による一方的な現状変更の試みに「強く反対する」と明記した共同声明をまとめた。
　上川陽子外相、ブリンケン米国務長官、ウォン豪外相、ジャイシャンカル印外相が出席。会合後の共同記者発表で、上川氏は「海洋状況の把握から現場の法執行に至るまで包括的な協力を進めていく」と述べた。
　共同声明は、「自由で開かれたインド太平洋」の実現に向けた連携を確認。中国を念頭に「ルールに基づく海洋秩序に対する挑戦」をけん制し、国際法順守の重要性を強調した。南シナ海での「威圧的かつ脅迫的な操船」に重大な懸念も表明した。（2024/07/29-18:03）

The foreign ministers of the Quad countries of Japan, the United States, Australia and India Monday expressed opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
   "We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the four ministers said in a statement after a meeting in Tokyo, apparently referring to China's assertiveness.
   Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar agreed to cooperate in maintaining and strengthening the free and open maritime order.
   "We will promote comprehensive cooperation in areas, from maritime domain awareness to on-site law enforcement," Kamikawa told a joint press conference after the first meeting of the Quad foreign ministers since September last year.
   In the joint statement, the ministers reaffirmed their "commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." They emphasized the importance of adherence to international law to "address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order." They expressed serious concern about "coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea."