Philippines wants India, South Korea to join ‘Squad’ amid China tensions

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is pushing to expand the informal "Squad" security alliance by adding India and South Korea to the four-nation bloc formed as a counterweight to China's growing assertiveness in the region.

Speaking before an international audience of defense officials and security experts, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. proposed the addition of India and South Korea to the US-led alliance to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific.

"During the [Raisina Dialogue,] General Brawner engaged in crucial discussions focused on regional security and defense cooperation. Notably, he proposed the expansion of the 'Squad' security grouping to include India and South Korea, aiming to bolster collective security efforts in the Indo-Pacific region," the AFP said in a statement on Monday, March 24. 

Brawner had specifically made the proposal during a panel discussion that included his counterpart from Japan, the chief of the Indian Navy, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific command and Australia's chief of Joint Operations, according to a Reuters report last week. 

RELATED: Philippines eyes expansion of Squad group to India, South Korea

The Squad is an informal security grouping or alliance that currently consists of the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines. It was formed in 2023 when defense chiefs from these four nations first met on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The group had its second meeting in May 2024 in Hawaii, hosted by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The alliance is characterized as a "minilateral" partnership – an ad-hoc, issue-specific cooperation framework addressing a specific range of security threats, particularly in the maritime domain of the Indo-Pacific. It is specifically focused on upholding peace and stability in the region and checking China's growing assertiveness.

During his participation in the India-led Raisina Dialogue, Brawner also highlighted the growing defense ties between the Philippines and India. This includes the two nations' training exchanges, the acquisition of advanced defense systems like the BrahMos anti-ship missile system from India, and joint maritime exercises.

"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 said in an interview, as reported by Reuters. 

The proposal to include India in the Squad group comes amid growing bilateral security ties between Manila and New Delhi. In December 2024, the two countries held their first-ever government-level maritime dialogue, where they agreed to explore naval and coast guard cooperation while emphasizing their "shared interest in a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

During those talks, both nations also explicitly called for "full and faithful compliance" with the 2016 Arbitration Award that invalidated China's expansive nine-dash line claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines received India's first delivery of its BrahMos missiles in April last year, which Manila acquired as part of the multi-billion AFP modernization program. 

In February, Brawner announced plans to purchase additional missiles from India.