US and allies boost maritime security in Indo-Pacific

Last 24 September, Secretary Rubio co-hosted a ministerial meeting on “Reinforcing Cooperation to Achieve a Secure and Stable Maritime Domain” with counterparts from Australia, Estonia, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Romania, and the United Kingdom. The gathering brought together over 35 countries to discuss shared maritime security concerns.

The meeting focused on safeguarding shipping lanes, protecting undersea infrastructure, and upholding freedoms of navigation and overflight as outlined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Secretary Rubio highlighted the importance of a free and open South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in global trade pass annually. “The Secretary raised the importance of collective efforts to advance a free and open South China Sea,” the U.S. Department of State said, noting he also pointed out China’s “expansive and unlawful maritime claims” and the “destabilizing ways it attempts to enforce them.”

Participants discussed threats to maritime security that put trade and critical infrastructure at risk, with Secretary Rubio encouraging closer coordination among countries to maintain the free flow of commerce worldwide.

The United States announced $55 million in new funding to enhance maritime law enforcement in the Indo-Pacific, covering Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Pacific Islands, and South Asian maritime nations. The support aims to counter illicit maritime activities, exercise sovereign rights, and disrupt illegal fishing and trafficking.

Since 2017, the United States has contributed over $1.5 billion in maritime security assistance to the region. Officials said the ministerial highlights the growing coalition of countries committed to strengthening maritime security and preserving vital high seas freedoms.