The Philippines and its allies are trying to expand the Squad grouping of nations to include India and South Korea to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region, the Philippines' Armed Forces chief General Romeo S. Brawner said on Wednesday.
The Squad is an informal multilateral grouping made up of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States, whose defense forces have conducted joint maritime activities in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea since last year.
Brawner's remarks at the Raisina Dialogue security forum in New Delhi come at a time when Manila and Beijing have had a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
China claims almost all of the strategic waterway - through which $3 trillion in commerce moves annually - disregarding sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China's expansive claim but Beijing does not recognize the decision.
Brawner said his country was making efforts to enhance its deterrence capabilities, including by working with partners in the Squad, which he said was an informal collaboration between the four nations on military aspects, intelligence sharing, and joint exercises and operations.
"Together with Japan and our partners we are trying to expand the squad to include India and probably South Korea," Brawner said during a panel discussion that included his counterpart from Japan, the chief of the Indian Navy, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Australia's chief of Joint Operations.
Spokespersons of the Indian defense ministry and the embassies of South Korea and China did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"We find commonality with India because we have a common enemy. And I'm not afraid to say that China is our common enemy. So, it's important that we collaborate together, maybe exchange intelligence," Brawner later told reporters, adding that his country already had a partnership with the Indian military and defense industry.
He said that he will "open up" the potential for India's Squad membership later in the day in a meeting with India's Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan.
A senior Indian defense officer said the meeting had happened, but it was not immediately clear if the matter was discussed.
At a press conference on March 7, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the Philippines' actions in the South China Sea were not independent but part of a "screenplay written by external forces," to smear China.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
6 Comments
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Unfortunately I think neither one can be counted on to counter China.
HopeSpringsEternal
All countries need to be given a chance to be counted on based on their efforts and motivation. Clearly this includes countries that border China like PI etc.
Fos
Here comes the usual greed of US industrial military complex, to fabricate stories of random fishermen being attacked by alleged China vessels, to justify more orders for American weapons and destabilize the region. How many times we have seen this movie, and how much warmongering is Washington going to promote?
EvilBuddha
India has already sold it's supersonic cruise missiles to Philippines.
Whatever TINC thinks is irrelevant, because India and China have been enemies for longer than he has been a keyboard warrior.
isabelle
India, yes. South Korea, sadly no.
In theory, South Korea should be a great partner but its foreign policy (and particularly its Japan policy) swings wildly depending on the party of government.
If Lee Jae-myung ends up in charge (if he manages to stay out of jail), South Korea will be untrustworthy for the duration of his tenure, just like it was when Moon was president. North Korea and China, however, will be rubbing their hands.
OssanAmerica
No Wang. It's nothing more than a response to the screenplay written and followed through by China.