US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stressed that the Quad should not be viewed as an alliance directed against China or any other nation, arguing instead that the grouping is focused on addressing specific activities and behaviours that concern its members.

Speaking after a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in Atlanta, Rubio said, “The Quad is not anti-anybody. It’s not a format that exists to be against any country.”

He added that while the concerns raised by the four nations are often linked to the actions of a particular country, the grouping’s purpose is not to target any state. “To the extent we express concern about things in the Quad, it’s concern about behaviours. It’s concern about activities.”

“Now, those activities or behaviours are coming repeatedly from one country. That’s going to be obvious to everybody. But it is not an anti-China or anti-anybody coalition. The Quad is a cooperative agreement between four countries that share a common interest and common opposition to behaviours, and that’s what we’ll continue to point to.”

Although Rubio did not identify the country in question, his remarks came amid growing concerns among Quad members over economic coercion, critical mineral supply chains and maritime security challenges across the Indo-Pacific.

The foreign ministers of the United States, India, Japan and Australia met on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, where they reviewed progress on a broad range of Quad initiatives. The gathering marked the third Quad foreign ministers’ meeting of the year, following earlier meetings in New Delhi and Manila.

Rubio said a Quad leaders’ summit is expected to take place in Manila in November and indicated that an official announcement would be made shortly. The summit is expected to be held on the margins of major ASEAN-related meetings in the Philippines.

The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and highlighted the importance of economic security, resilient supply chains and trusted infrastructure for maintaining regional stability and prosperity.

In a strongly worded joint statement, the four countries expressed “grave concerns” about economic coercion, including arbitrary export restrictions and non-market practices that create industrial overcapacity and disrupt critical global supply chains.

While no country was named, the language reflected concerns increasingly voiced by Quad members regarding restrictions on critical mineral exports and broader supply-chain vulnerabilities.

The ministers pledged more than $85 million in technical and financial assistance to expand access to trusted artificial intelligence technologies across the Indo-Pacific. The funding will support initiatives including a Quad AI Accelerator aimed at widening regional access to advanced and secure AI capabilities.

They also launched a new effort to identify vulnerabilities and bottlenecks across semiconductor and AI hardware supply chains, reflecting growing concerns over the concentration of critical technology production and processing capacity.

Maritime security remained a key focus. The Quad members underlined the importance of preserving navigation rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, describing uninterrupted commercial shipping and energy flows as essential to global economic stability.

The ministers criticised the imposition of shipping tolls and reiterated that navigation rights must be protected under international law, including the principles reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Another major priority was tackling transnational cyber-enabled crime. The four countries warned that online scam networks are costing their economies tens of billions of dollars annually. They condemned criminal organisations involved in fraud operations, human trafficking and forced cyber scams, pledging to dismantle those networks and hold their leaders accountable.

On critical minerals, the United States committed $10 million to support facilities in India and ASEAN countries that recover and process valuable minerals from electronic waste and industrial scrap. The initiative forms part of the Quad Critical Minerals Framework announced earlier this year and is intended to strengthen diversified and resilient supply chains.

The ministers also announced the launch of the first Quad Business Leaders’ Forum, designed to deepen commercial ties and encourage private-sector collaboration across strategic industries. Export credit agencies from the four nations are scheduled to meet in Tokyo on November 18 to explore further cooperation.

Infrastructure development featured prominently in the discussions. Quad members confirmed work with Fiji to modernise port facilities in Suva, Lautoka and Rokobili, while noting that more than 2,000 infrastructure fellowships have already been awarded across the Indo-Pacific region.

In the maritime domain, the second Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer mission took place between September 25 and October 7, sailing from Chennai to Perth aboard an Indian Coast Guard vessel with personnel from all four Quad countries participating.

The ministers also confirmed plans for the first Quad maritime surveillance exercise during Sea Dragon 2027, signalling deeper operational cooperation in maritime awareness and regional security.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief were also discussed. The four nations expressed condolences for the victims of the devastating flash floods of August 26 and acknowledged India’s role as a first responder during rescue operations in Nepal. Australia, Japan and the United States will send observers to India’s disaster-relief exercise scheduled for November.

The meeting concluded with ministers looking ahead to the next Quad Leaders’ Summit and the next foreign ministers’ meeting, underscoring the grouping’s increasingly active role in supply-chain resilience, technology cooperation, critical minerals security, maritime stability and regional development across the Indo-Pacific.

ANI