In the group photo are the  leaders of Australia, the US, Japan, and India.   (Photo: Getty Images)

They championed adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East Sea and South China Sea.

According to the statement, the Quad strongly supports the principles of freedom, rule of law, democracy, sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force or any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, and freedom of navigation and overflight, all of which are essential to peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and the world.

The Japanese Prime Minister, the US President, the Australian Prime Minister, and the Indian Prime Minister pledged to continue to act decisively together to advance these principles in the region and beyond.

They reaffirmed their resolve to uphold the international rules-based order where countries are free from all forms of military, economic and political coercion.