Quad backs $85 million AI push, warns against export restrictions

Foreign ministers from the United States, Australia, India and Japan have agreed to work towards building reliable global supply chains and raised concerns over arbitrary export restrictions and non-market practices, stopping short of directly naming China.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday after a meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad, the four countries expressed concern over what they described as “economic coercion” and practices that could disrupt supply chains in critical industries.

The statement comes as Japan has strongly criticised Beijing over restrictions on critical mineral exports, while the US has been working to bring together G20 countries concerned about China’s dominance in rare earths and other critical minerals.

The Quad meeting took place shortly before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the final session of a meeting of foreign ministers from the broader Group of 20 major economies in Atlanta. China is also a member of the G20.

The Quad ministers reaffirmed their support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, saying economic security was important for maintaining global stability and prosperity. They also highlighted the need for reliable and open global supply chains.

“They expressed grave concerns regarding economic coercion, including through arbitrary export restrictions, as well as non-market policies and practices that result in overcapacity to disrupt global supply chains in critical industries,” the joint statement said.

The ministers also stressed the “absolute necessity to protect and preserve navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait”.

The four countries pledged more than $85 million in assistance to support trusted artificial intelligence technologies across the Indo-Pacific. They also announced plans for a new initiative to identify vulnerabilities in semiconductor and related supply chains before they lead to disruptions.

The meeting was the third gathering of Quad foreign ministers this year. Plans are also taking shape for US President Donald Trump to attend his first formal meeting with the leaders of the four countries next month in Manila, on the sidelines of a conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Rubio told reporters that an announcement on the Quad leaders’ meeting in Manila would “hopefully” be made very soon, but did not provide further details.

He said the grouping was not “an anti-China or anti-anybody coalition”, while adding that the joint statement raised concerns about behaviour and activities that he said were “coming repetitively from one country.”

Rubio said the US had invested considerable time in the Quad and wanted to build on its work through specific projects and initiatives. These include a $20 million project in Palau to improve the country’s digital infrastructure.

He also said the four countries had made substantial progress in developing ways to pool resources during humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

The Quad countries are also planning to establish a business forum to help companies from all four nations identify new opportunities to work together.