The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the China-focused "Quad" grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan as the Trump administration kicks off its formal foreign policy engagements in discussions with the Indo-Pacific “Quad.

First diplomatic engagement of Trump team focuses on eco, security, tech coop in Indo-Pacific; Jaishankar says will think bigger and deepen agenda

The U.S. secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan are expected to meet in Washington on Tuesday, the day after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, people familiar with the matter said.

However, none of the four foreign ministers — Rubio, Australian Penny Wong, Indian S. Jaishankar or Japanese Iwaya Takeshi — spoke as they opened their meeting at the State Department. Instead they stood silent and expressionless in front of their respective flags before journalists were ushered out.