US unveils new Indo-Pacific alliance

By Manuel Mogato | Date 05-5-2024

Manila  —  United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has unveiled a new regional security alliance, a significant move in the geopolitical landscape, aimed at countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. 

This alliance, which brings together defense leaders from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, was announced during a high-profile meeting in Hawaii.

This marked the second meeting of the four defense ministers, a testament to the ongoing commitment to address pressing international and regional security issues of mutual concern.

They first met in Singapore last year on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-la Dialogue.

“We also talked about the security landscape across the Indo-Pacific and discussed new initiatives to make the region more stable and secure,” Austin told reporters at a press conference after the landmark meeting at Camp Smith. “We want to conduct more maritime exercises and activities among our four countries. We also wish to pursue coordinated security assistance to the Philippines to boost interoperability and help the Philippines achieve its defense modernization goals.”

Austin’s statements came weeks after the four countries held a joint patrol in the West Philippine Sea, a demonstration of Washington’s ironclad commitment to help Manila as it faces serious security challenge to counter Beijing’s coercive activities in the West Philippine Sea.

For his part, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the meeting was “a shared respect for a rules-based international order and the upholding of international law.” 

“It is safe to say that four countries, four independent countries voicing the same message, mean an essential thing in the face of a unilateral declaration by a single theater actor,” he said.

“In this spirit of upholding a rules-based international order, a free and open Indo-Pacific, and upholding international law, we meet here once again today in the latest iteration of our four countries multilateral cooperation.”

During the meeting, the four defense leaders expressed serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas.  

“They strongly objected to the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea,” a joint statement from the defense leaders said. “They reiterated serious concern over the PRC’s repeated obstruction of Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and the disruption of supply lines to Second Thomas Shoal, which constitute dangerous and destabilizing conduct.”

They also emphasized the importance of upholding freedoms of navigation and overflight, and respect for international law, as reflected notably in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

The four defense leaders also called upon the China to to abide by the final and legally binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award and resolved to work together to support states exercising their rights and freedoms in the South China Sea.

In the second meeting of the four nations, the defense leaders emphasized their commitment to strengthen cooperation in support of regional security and stability following the Maritime Cooperative Activity in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone on April 7, 2024.  

The Hawaii meeting also came on the eve of the turnover of command of the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) from Admiral John Aquilino to Admiral Sam Paparo.