OAN’s Cameron Breckenridge
1:38 PM –Friday, May 3, 2024
Defense leaders from the United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines have held a joint meeting in Hawaii.
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On Thursday, the four defense chiefs from their respective nations met to strengthen their cooperation on military readiness. They also addressed increasing concerns regarding China’s operations in the South China Sea.
Tensions have escalated between the Philippines and China concerning the resource-abundant region. China has employed collision and ramming tactics, deployed undersea barriers, and utilized military-grade lasers to impede Philippine resupply and patrol missions.
China has been vocal about its intention to assert control over access to the South China Sea. The country has also expressed its want to bring Taiwan under its authority, even resorting to force if deemed necessary.
“The single biggest reason for what we’re witnessing in Hawaii this week is the increasingly aggressive behavior of the People’s Republic of China,” Bradley Bowman, the senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told the Voice Of America (VOA) news outlet.
“I think Japan, Australia and the Philippines understand that investments in deterrence are far less costly than dealing with a war that could have been prevented, and they understand that deterrence will be much stronger and more effective if they work with the United States and they work with each other,” he said.
Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said the goal of ongoing cooperation is to establish international law and order.
“Today, the meetings that we have held represent a very significant message to the region and to the world about four democracies which are committed to the global rules-based order,” Marles stated.
The meeting comes after the four nations met last month to put together their first joint naval exercises in the South China Sea.
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