Kuala lumpur: The defense chiefs and ministers of the Philippines, Australia, Japan, and the United States have expressed concern over China's actions in the East and South China Seas, which they describe as destabilizing.
According to Philippines News Agency, this collective concern was voiced following a meeting on November 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, attended by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro, and United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The joint statement released after the meeting emphasized their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force or coercion.
This recent meeting marks the fifth gathering of these defense leaders in the last three years, highlighting their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. They reiterated the importance of upholding international law and freedom of navigation, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They also affirmed that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award remains final and legally binding on all parties involved.
The defense leaders expressed robust support for ASEAN's central role in shaping the region's future and pledged to work towards peace and stability through various commitments. They reaffirmed their focus on deterrence and operational readiness and aimed to enhance coordinated defense cooperation activities, including information-sharing, joint training, and operational coordination.
In pursuit of greater alignment between policy and operational objectives, the leaders endorsed the framework to establish the Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council. They also celebrated the implementation of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines, promoting comprehensive bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
Additionally, they welcomed the upcoming 'Balikatan' 2026 exercise in the Philippines, which will involve forces from all four countries to boost joint preparedness.
