The top defense officials of Australia, Japan, the United States and the Philippines met recently in Kuala Lumpur to reaffirm their shared commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific amid the growing regional tensions.

The gathering of Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on 2 November marked the fifth high-level defense meeting among the four nations in the past three years.

The defense officials expressed serious concern over China’s “destabilizing actions” in the East and South China Seas.

They reaffirmed their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, stressing the importance of upholding international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They emphasized that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award is final and legally binding.

The defense chiefs likewise pledged to strengthen regional peace and stability through enhanced deterrence and operational readiness, as well as coordinated defense cooperation.

They discussed the progress on information-sharing, joint training, and operational coordination to ensure seamless collaboration among their forces.

One key initiative highlighted was the plan to establish the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council, which would align policy and operational goals among the four nations.

The officials also welcomed the entry into force of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines, which would enable closer bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation.

The upcoming Balikatan 2026 exercises in the Philippines were also highlighted as a key platform to strengthen joint preparedness and interoperability among the four nations’ armed forces.

Teodoro emphasized that the meetings and joint activities reflected the countries’ shared determination to uphold regional stability and the central role of ASEAN in shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific.