Japan, Australia, US and India set to launch joint sea patrols to keep China in check

The US, Japan, Australia, and India plan to conduct joint patrols in the Indo-Pacific to monitor vessels in the waters where they accuse China of displaying dominance and aggression.

The patrols by the coast guards of the four countries, bound in an alliance called the Quad, are also aimed at combating illegal fishing in these waters, Japan’s Kyodo News reported citing diplomatic sources.

A joint statement detailing the plan is expected to be released on Saturday in Delaware, US president Joe Biden’s hometown where he is hosting Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for a Quad summit.

The White House said Mr Biden is hosting the leaders in Wilmington as a “reflection of his deep personal relationships with each of the Quad leaders and the importance of the Quad to all of our countries”.

The summit, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “will focus on bolstering the strategic convergence among our countries, advancing our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and delivering concrete benefits for partners in the Indo-Pacific in key areas”.

The joint patrols by vessels of the Quad coast guards will focus on the South China Sea and its surrounding waters where competing claims of sovereignty have led to a conflict between China and its neighbours like Taiwan and the Philippines. The Chinese coast guard has lately used force to keep Philipine vessels away from South China Sea shoals which both countries lay claim to.

Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. Its claims overlap with those of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The patrols, to be conducted on a rotational