G7, Quad back Philippines' call for international rules-based order in Indo-Pacific

The recently concluded 2023 Group of Seven (G7) and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summits expressed support for the Philippines’ position to adhere to the international rules-based order and to maintain peace and stability in the region.

In a letter dated May 20, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko told Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil that the outcome documents of the twin summits held in Japan this month showed they yielded consequential decisions related to the Philippines.
 
Koshikawa said that during the G7 summit, the leaders reaffirmed their determination to meet global challenges and further champion shared international principles and values.
 
They also committed to strengthening coordination with regional partners, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
 
“The G7 leaders also stressed that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and strongly opposed its militarization in the region. Underlining the universal character of the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and its pivotal role in setting out the legal framework in all activities in the oceans and seas,” Koshikawa’s letter read.

The Japanese envoy also said the G7 leaders “reiterated the legally binding Arbitral Tribunal award rendered on July 12, 2016 as a significant milestone as a basis for peaceful resolvement of disputes between the parties.”
 
“Furthermore, they affirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and agreed to foster resilience to economic coercion,” he added.
 
The G7 is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies—the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom —that meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.

During the Quad meeting, Japan’s foreign ministry said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed “serious concerns” about the attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the Indo-Pacific, including the East and South China Seas.
 
Quad member states echoed Kishida’s sentiments.
 
“By working together in creating a brighter future for all, the decisive actions in the summits concretize steps towards upholding an international order based on the rule of law and strengthening outreach to the Global South,” Koshikawa said.
 
Further, the ambassador said the Quad members committed to adhering to four principles during the summit, including investing in the future prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, maintaining and strengthening stability in the region in accordance with international law, and working towards a stronger and enhanced multilateral system.
 
Other principles are respect for the centrality, agency, and leadership of regional institutions while firmly working transparently alongside each other in open dialogue to deliver responsive and sustained economic and social value.

The Quad is a security dialogue between the US, Australia, India, and Japan. All democracies have vibrant economies, and member countries tackle security, economic, and health issues.  —VBL, GMA Integrated News