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PH, Australia, Japan, US concerned over China's 'destabilizing' acts

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno
November 3, 2025, 9:59 am

MANILA -- The defense chiefs and ministers of the Philippines, Australia, Japan and the United States expressed concern over China's destabilizing actions in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

This came after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro and United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met on Nov. 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to a joint statement released Sunday night.

"The Ministers and Secretaries reiterated their serious concern regarding China's destabilizing actions in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion," it added.

The latest meeting among the defense leaders was the fifth in the last three years, underscoring their commitment to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

They stressed the importance of upholding international law and freedom of navigation and overflight, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and reaffirmed that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties to the proceeding.

All four defense leaders expressed their continued support for ASEAN's central role in shaping the region's future and committed to ensure peace and stability in the region with the following commitments:

--To reaffirm the focus of Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States' joint efforts on deterrence and operational readiness.

--To enhance coordinated defense cooperation activities. The defense leaders also discussed progress related to information-sharing, joint training, and operational coordination to enable advanced operations and seamless coordination among their forces.

"In support of greater alignment between policy and operational objectives, the Ministers and Secretaries expressed support for the framework to establish the Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council," the statement said.

The defense leaders applauded the entry into force of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines, which allowed the two nations to be more comprehensive bilateral and multilateral partners.

"The defense leaders welcomed the upcoming 'Balikatan' 2026 as the next exercise in the Philippines with participation from all four countries' respective forces to enhance joint preparedness," it added. (PNA)