India joins Quad partners in call for Indo-Pacific peace, ASEAN centrality amid Chinese assertiveness
India and its Quad partners reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region during a meeting in Manila. The group emphasized the importance of ASEAN centrality while addressing concerns over regional security and Chinese military assertiveness.
Why it matters
The Quad's unified stance reflects shifting geopolitical alliances and efforts to maintain regional stability in the face of rising tensions in the South China Sea.
India joined its Quad partners in calling for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific while reaffirming ASEAN’s centrality in the region amid China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the South China Sea.
Besides Mr. Jaishankar, the Quad meeting held in Manila on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi.
The Quad foreign ministers last met in New Delhi in late May, when Mr. Rubio travelled to India.
A joint statement said the Quad reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific while extending “unwavering support” for “ASEAN unity and centrality”.
The ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries, including the U.S., China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
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