The defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines agreed Saturday to step up security cooperation in an effort to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific amid China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the region.
The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the annual Asia Security Summit in Singapore, was the first-ever defense ministerial talks involving all four countries.
The ministers “affirmed that they have a vision for a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ and collectively make efforts to ensure the vision continues to thrive,” according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Australian and Philippine counterparts Richard Marles and Carlito Galvez “discussed regional issues of common interest and opportunities to expand cooperation,” it said.
Among the plans being considered are joint maritime patrols by vessels of the four countries in the South China Sea, with the apparent aims of monitoring the movements of the Chinese military and acting as a deterrent, according to a diplomatic source.
The meeting came as Tokyo, Washington and Canberra have all ramped up their defense cooperation with Manila amid mounting concerns over Beijing’s growing military presence in the South and East China seas and intensifying U.S.-China tensions.
Japan and the Philippines have both been facing challenges related to China’s claims over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and almost all of the South China Sea, respectively.