Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi to attend Quad meeting in India

Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa is to attend a meeting with his counterparts from the United States, Australia and India on Friday.

Hayashi will leave for India on Thursday night for the Quad meeting.

The participants plan to exchange views on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region as China is increasing military activity in coordination with Russia. They are expected to reaffirm their opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force.

The Quad meeting will be held following G20 foreign ministers talks that started in New Delhi on Wednesday. Hayashi decided to skip the G20 conference to take part in deliberations in the Upper House Budget Committee. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yamada Kenji is sitting in for Hayashi at the G20 talks.

Some in the government and ruling and opposition parties argue that Hayashi's absence will have a negative impact on Japan's diplomacy as the country serves as the chair of the Group of Seven nations this year.

Hayashi wants to use the Quad meeting to stress the need to uphold and strengthen the international order before the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May.