Without directly referring to Beijing’s aggressive posturing, the four Quad nations on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
The growing maritime partnership between India and Indonesia reflects a broader regional alignment to counter increasing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Countries across the globe have started recalibrating their foreign policy priorities ahead of a second Donald Trump administration in the US and the unpredictability that stems from his statements, many of which are controversial.
Mr Wang described the COC, which will provide guidelines to help manage disputes in a peaceful manner, as an "enhanced and upgraded version" of the DOC.
At the same time, the EU delivered its Indo-Pacific system which called for "multi-layered commitment with China on issues of normal interest" while "pushing back where basic conflict exists with China, for example, on common freedoms."
