TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Senior officials from the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia held a virtual meeting on Thursday (Aug. 12) to discuss “strategic challenges” in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.

According to the U.S. State Department, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was based on discussions arising from the Quad leaders summit in March. Officials from the four nations also discussed how to fight against disinformation.

The U.S. State Department confirmed that peace and security in the Taiwan Strait was part of the discussions. It was the first time the issue has been addressed at a Quad dialogue since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January.

The meeting was set to “advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the state department said in a press release. It also announced the second Quad leadership summit would be held in autumn.

The Quad was first established in 2007 by Japan, but Australia withdrew in 2008. The alliance resumed its work in 2017 due to the challenges of an assertive and threatening China.