United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday held his first multilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Quad nations, with the four countries vowing to oppose unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo “by force or coercion” in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Quad, a strategic coalition, comprises India, the United States, Japan and Australia. The statement issued on Tuesday was an apparent reference to China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific.

The meeting took place a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the US president for a second term.

The joint statement said that Rubio, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australia’s Penny Wong and their Japanese counterparts Takeshi Iwaya had met to “reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

“Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.

It added: “We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

The joint statement said that the four nations were “committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains”.

The Quad members vowed to meet regularly to prepare for the leaders’ summit, which India is expected to host later this year, the statement added.

Following the meeting, Jaishankar said that it was significant that the meeting of the Quad grouping took place within hours of the Trump administration taking office.

“This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states,” he said on social media. “Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

Jaishankar added: “The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good.”

China has repeatedly claimed that the Quad is a US-led effort to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region.

Under former US President Joe Biden, the Quad has met several times to address Beijing’s military and economic activities in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea, where the US’ allies have challenged China’s territorial claims.