Is the Philippines seeking to formalise the ‘Squad’ alliance with its partners?
The informal group, which also includes Australia, the US and Japan, has raised concerns about ‘China’s destabilising actions’
On Saturday, the four countries’ defence chiefs met on the sidelines of the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur, where they reportedly expressed support for a framework to establish an “Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Cooperation Council”.
Saturday’s meeting marked the fifth among the four countries’ defence chiefs in the last three years. It focused on information sharing, joint training and operational coordination, according to a joint statement published on Monday.
They also raised concern “regarding China’s destabilising actions in the East China Sea and the South China Sea” and expressed “continued support for Asean’s central role in shaping the future of the region”, the statement said.