iven that the two blocs have different regional focuses, it is prudent for them to operate independently but in tandem, ensuring that both blocs remain agenda-driven and coherent, allowing them to effectively address the diverse security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region,
While other issues and regions are currently dominating foreign policy discussions, a significant international development took place this week in Washington. An emerging regional bloc, unofficially dubbed ‘Squad’, has linked Australia, Japan, and the United States with the Philippines. This alliance underscores Washington’s ongoing commitment to integrating all its Indo-Pacific allies to counter China’s ’excessive claims in the region’.
Analysts are optimistic that this alliance will evolve into a more permanent or institutionalised grouping, given the member countries significant commercial interests in the contested South China Sea and East China Sea. According to US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, the so-called ‘Squad’ will conduct more maritime exercises and provide increased security assistance to the Philippines.
The formation of the ‘Squad’ closely follows the first joint patrols by these nations in the South China Sea and a significant trilateral summit at the White House involving leaders from the US, Japan, and the Philippines in April 2024. Over the coming months, the alliance plans to enhance military interoperability, conduct additional joint patrols and drills, and improve intelligence and maritime security cooperation. These efforts are aimed at addressing the challenges posed by China across the Western Pacific.
This quadrilateral partnership is the latest regional alliance forged by Washington to counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region. Ironically, the individual most credited with making this happen is Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This development comes amid a tense crisis in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims about 90 percent of this crucial waterway, through which one-third of global shipping passes each year. Beijing has been harassing and threatening ships near disputed islands and geographical features it claims as its own. Recently, China’s tactics have become increasingly aggressive, resulting in several naval skirmishes with Chinese vessels. As a result, the member countries of the alliance are strengthening their security capabilities.
China’s state tabloid, the Global Times, has stated that the ‘Squad’ grouping will pose ‘a more targeted challenge’ to Beijing, as it allows the US to ‘manage the security situation in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait’.
