US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first meeting is with Quad leaders; Jaishankar calls it 'a clear message'

In a strong signal to China, the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first meeting after the Donald Trump administration took charge was with the foreign ministers from Quad countries -- India, Australia, Japan and the United States.

Rubio hosted India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat.

After a meeting that lasted over an hour, a joint statement said the Quad 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 people of the Indo-Pacific." Without mentioning China by its name, the statement also warned against any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.

The ministers reconfirmed the Quad Leadership Summit in India later this year. "We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India," it added.

Before the meeting, Rubio told NBC News that the Quad meeting was aimed at reaffirming the importance of working with allies on things that are important to America and Americans.

Jaishankar too took to X to state that the meeting sent a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, Quad will continue to be a force for global good. "Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states," he said.

While Trump's policy on Quad needs to be seen, the fact that the first meeting was with the leaders underlines that it will likely remain important. Add to this, Rubio's statement during his confirmation hearing that China was "the most potent, dangerous and near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted".

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stressed the importance of the Quad by stating that she was happy a meeting of the Quad countries was being held so soon after the inauguration. Wong said it was an iron-clad commitment at this time when close cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is so important.

Meanwhile, China has expressed willingness to work with the Trump administration to strengthen cooperation and properly manage differences.

Jaishankar holds talks with NSA Mike Waltz

After the Quad ministerial, Rubio had his first bilateral with Jaishankar, which lasted for more than an hour. India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, was also present in the meeting. Jaishankar also met National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Tuesday.

Jaishankar said in a post that they discussed strengthening their friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity.