Defense chiefs of Philippines, US, Japan, Australia, South Korea hold 'historic' first meeting

 MANILA, Philippines — Defense chiefs from the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea met Thursday, November 21 in their first five-way dialogue, where they vowed to continue upholding respect for "international law and sovereignty" in the region. 

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro joined Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy, Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III for a dialogue at the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Laos.

The five-way meeting comes nearly two months after the armed forces of the four nations conducted joint drills in Philippine waters last September. The maritime exercise involving the Philippines, U.S., Japan, Australia and New Zealand took place amid China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Teodoro and the four nations' defense chiefs "emphasized the importance of close multilateral cooperation in support of regional security and stability," according to a short joint readout of their meeting.

They also "underscored the importance of ASEAN centrality and unity and ASEAN-led regional architecture."

The defense chiefs also stressed their "shared commitment to advance a vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where international law and sovereignty are respected."

Without details, the defense leaders highlighted the progress in deepening their nations' defense cooperation. They also "reaffirmed their commitment to working together moving forward."

Austin described the meeting as a "historic multilateral meeting" that highlighted how countries in the region are "delivering results together in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region," according to an X post.

Beijing has increasingly stepped up its presence in the fiercely contested South China Sea over the past years. It has refused to recognize the 2016 ruling that invalidated its so-called nine-dash line claim to the disputed waters.

Chinese vessels' routine harassment of Filipino fishers and Philippine vessels has drawn condemnation from the four countries mentioned. 

According to the Philippine Navy, for the past year, Chinese forces have typically kept their distance when Manila's vessels sail with powerful nations in the South China Sea,

During the September joint drills, two Chinese warships were seen shadowing the naval forces of the five nations. They got as close as around half a nautical mile to 14 nautical miles, but showed no aggressive maneuvers.

In the past two years, the Philippines has elevated its ties with South Korea and Australia to a strategic partnership. It also shares the same level of bilateral relations with Japan. 

Meanwhile, the Philippines is the US' oldest treaty ally in the region. Both countries share a Mutual Defense Treaty that compels the armed forces of both nations to defend each other during armed attacks.