TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — At a meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York Friday (Sept. 22), foreign ministers of the “Quad” nations Japan, India, Australia, and the United States strongly opposed unilateral changes by military force of the Indo-Pacific status quo.

The joint statement issued at the end of the meeting was motivated by concern over China’s aggressive stance in the waters of East and Southeast Asia, CNA reported. The Quad foreign ministers discussing the issue were: Japan’s Kamikawa Yoko, Penny Wong of Australia, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar for India, and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The four diplomats underlined the importance of international law, promising cooperation to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific. The next Quad meeting will be hosted by Japan next year, they decided.

The foreign ministers of Japan and India also held a separate meeting, where they voiced their interest in developing a closer strategic partnership. For Kamikawa, it was her first overseas trip since her appointment as foreign minister on Sept. 13.