In his historic address to Indian Parliament way back in August 2007, the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed the two regions around the Indian and Pacific Oceans should better be referred to as the Indo-Pacific and the states therein work together for its peace and development. Advancing this idea in 2016, Japan came forward with a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” policy framework to connect Asia with Africa through maritime stability, quality infrastructure, and partnerships.  In 2023 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida focused on promoting peace in the Indo-Pacific, addressing its challenges, fostering multi-layered connectivity among the nations of the region, and promoting maritime security.  It emphasized collaboration with India, the US, Australia, and ASEAN to maintain a stable, rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific. Regrettably, however, this vast geographical region still lacks an appropriate collective security architecture for its defence necessary for its assured development.

Of course, they are groupings, such as the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue (Japan, India, Australia and the United States), the AUKUS, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. There are also bilateral alliances, such as US- Japan/ the Philippines.  But such groups are militarily too weak to be effective. They hardly represent the entire region.

The group, such as the Quad, lacks a formal structure. It has no secretariat, no headquarters. It focuses on “soft” issues, such as climate change, health, and technology. The QUAD member-states are divergent in their purpose. Today the US under President Donald Trump, seems to be stepping away from the QUAD.  India’s primary concern is its border conflict with China in the Himalayas.

One would suggest the Philippines today could play a crucial role in shaping an appropriate Indo-Pacific security architecture. As the current chair of the ASEAN, the Philippines may impress upon its counterparts in the forum the importance of investing in the security of the Indo-Pacific. The Philippines may reach out also to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea – the forum’s dialogue partners — and win them over to the idea of shaping a security architecture for the region.

The Philippines could be influential also with the major actors, such as the United States, Japan, and India, of the QUAD forum.  Today, the U.S. has access to important military bases in the Philippines. Recently, Manila and Tokyo signed a deal to allow their armed forces to share fuel, food, and services. Last year, Manila elevated its relationship with New Delhi to the level of strategic partnership.

One is sure the Philippines would take the measures needed  to construct an Indo-Pacific security architecture. One hopes Manila would have the support of all important capitals in the region in this enterprise. They all must be united in a common purpose of countering Beijing’s increasing territorial hostility in the region.

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings