WE HEARD the Philippine military chief, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr,, articulate this week his desire to have South Korea be part of the US-assembled Squad alliance for a free Indo-Pacific region.
He believes Seoul, like Manila, Canberra and Tokyo, has a stake in the security aspect of the region, a seismic shift reshaping the geopolitical landscape where the alliance is at a crossroads, the new frontier in global cooperation.
The United States assembled allies like Australia, the Philippines, and Japan in Washington DC to bolster its influence and counterbalance China’s assertiveness, the realignment underscoring America’s commitment to shaping the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century.
This strategic move by Washington has marked a departure from the Quad and reflected a nuanced geopolitical hedging strategy aimed at countering China’s expanding influence on the international stage.
The informal security architecture Squad is intended to address coercion and aggression across Asia, with a particular focus on the Western Pacific Ocean Region, while the Indian Ocean Region remains a secondary priority due to significant trade volumes passing through it.
In April 2024, the four nations conducted joint maritime patrols within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone against the backdrop of rising tensions between Manila and Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The four countries have since started looking at undertaking more maritime exercises as well as providing greater security assistance to the Philippines.
We share the belief that with more countries joining the Squad, this would be beneficial because, like Brawner said, we are promoting the same objectives: to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and also a rules-based international order.
Earlier this month, militaries from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia participated in a joint exercise in the West Philippine Sea, the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.
Several Chinese warships were monitored during the joint drills, according to the AFP.
“This underscores our shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the AFP said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the 6th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity was conducted to demonstrate a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying it had “no legal basis” but China has refused to recognize the decision
