Quad Leaders to Jointly Monitor Indo-Pacific Vessels from Next Year... Targeting China's Illegal Fishing

Kyodo News "Japanese, Australian, and Indian Coast Guard Officials Aboard US Warship"

Leaders of the Quad countries?the United States, India, Japan, and Australia?are expected to announce a plan to jointly monitor vessel movements in the Indo-Pacific region at the Quad summit to be held in the United States on the 21st (local time), Kyodo News reported on the 15th, citing multiple diplomatic sources.

This plan is aimed at addressing illegal fishing by China, focusing on cooperation among the maritime security authorities of the four countries, including the Japan Coast Guard, to suppress illegal activities.

For the first joint operation next year, there is discussion of having maritime security officials from Japan, Australia, and India aboard a US Coast Guard (USCG) vessel. The plan is to continue activities in the future by rotating the host country.

Quad country leaders
Photo by AFP·Yonhap News

The joint statement to be announced at the summit is also expected to include various cooperation measures such as building communication infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region, supporting agriculture through advanced technology, and collaborating on cervical cancer prevention. The four countries are also expected to discuss establishing a Quad economic and industrial ministers' meeting as an agenda item.

The summit will be hosted by US President Joe Biden on the 21st in Wilmington, Delaware. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend.

Kyodo News reported, "President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida are expected to attend their last Quad meeting before leaving office," adding, "There is also an intention to ensure that cooperation among the four countries continues under the next administrations."