An American military official says that the US, Australia, India and Japan continue to have regular diplomatic meetings to "coordinate our respective visions of and efforts in the Indo-Pacific region."

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col Dave Eastburn made the comments late Friday in Washington to clarify that the US-backed diplomatic grouping often referred to as the quad would continue.

They came after Adm. Phil Davidson, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, suggested in Singapore on Thursday that a loose security grouping of the four countries could be shelved for now.

Eastburn said Davidson "was referring to a formal, regular meeting of military leaders from the four countries" and not other regular diplomatic consultations.

He said such diplomatic meetings have been held three times since November 2017 and would continue.

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