Defense chiefs from the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines convened in Hawaii for their second-ever joint meeting on May 2nd. This gathering aimed to deepen cooperation amidst concerns about China's activities in the South China Sea.
The meeting followed the first-ever joint naval exercises conducted by the four nations in the South China Sea, a crucial shipping route where China has long-standing territorial disputes with Southeast Asian nations. These disputes, coupled with China's recent assertiveness in the region, have caused alarm.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the importance of the drills in strengthening the nations' ability to collaborate, build bonds among their forces, and underscore their shared commitment to international law in the waterway. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles echoed this sentiment, stating that the defense chiefs discussed increasing the frequency of their joint exercises.
The defense chiefs also held separate bilateral meetings and a trilateral meeting with Australia and Japan. The first meeting of this group was held in Singapore last year.
The United States has defense treaties with all three nations and has been conducting freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, challenging China's claims to virtually the entire waterway. The U.S. maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight in the waters is in its national interest.
China, along with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei, have overlapping claims in the resource-rich sea. Beijing has refused to recognize a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its expansive claims on historical grounds.
Recent skirmishes between China and the Philippines, including an incident where Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at Philippine patrol vessels, have heightened concerns about a larger conflict. The U.S. has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if its forces are attacked in the South China Sea.
President Joe Biden's administration has stated its intention to build a "latticework" of alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, even as the U.S. grapples with other global challenges. China, however, views this strengthening of U.S. alliances as an attempt to contain its influence and destabilize the region.