Beijing's statement came hours after the foreign ministers of the Quad countries, comprising the US, Japan, India and Australia, in a meeting in Tokyo, reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, vowing to work towards a region where no country dominates others and each state is free from coercion in all its forms.

The Quad was "artificially creating tension, inciting confrontation and containing the development of other countries", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing here when asked for his reaction to the joint statement of the foreign ministers of the Quad countries released after the end of their meeting.

This is against the global trend of peace and development and stability in the Asia Pacific, Lin said.

In a loud and clear message to China, the Quad foreign ministers in Tokyo called for upholding the free and open rules-based international order and respecting the principle of freedom, human rights, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.

The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Australia's Penny Wong.

Without directly naming China, the four foreign ministers expressed serious concern over the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterated the Quad's strong opposition to any "unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion".

Lin said China believes cooperation among countries and regional initiatives to be conducive to regional development, stability and prosperity rather than forming small circles harming mutual trust and cooperation.

China safeguards its sovereignty and maritime interests and is committed to resolving the maritime issue through dialogue and consultations, he said.

In an apparent reference to the US, Lin said certain countries send their military vessels to build up differences and create conflicts and build up small circles. This has become the biggest threat to regional peace and stability.

China firmly opposes certain countries using coercion to create confrontation.

“They claim to protect their interests but impose their laws on others,” he said, adding that Quad countries should maintain stability instead of stirring up conflicts and adding fuel to the fire.