Japan has expressed its support for closer security cooperation with South Korea and India in the Indo-Pacific, just days after the Philippines’ military chief revealed that a U.S.-backed security alliance was seeking their inclusion to counter China in the region.
In a statement to Reuters on Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Defense emphasized its backing for a multi-layered network of alliances but refrained from confirming whether it had formally agreed to or considered expanding the Squad group.
The Squad, an informal multilateral alliance comprising Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, focuses on defense cooperation, intelligence sharing, and joint military operations.
“Building organic and multi-layered networks among allies and like-minded nations, as well as expanding these networks to enhance deterrence, is crucial as Japan faces its most severe and complex security environment since World War II,” the ministry stated.
It further stressed that “close cooperation among regional partners, including Australia, the Philippines, South Korea, and India, is essential for realizing a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific,’ with the Japan-U.S. alliance remaining central.”
Philippines’ military chief, General Romeo S. Brawner, disclosed at a security forum in New Delhi last week that Squad nations were working to bring India and South Korea into the alliance to counter China’s influence. His remarks came amid ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
India’s defense ministry and South Korea’s embassy in India did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Christopher Elms, spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in India, told Reuters that “the United States will continue working with all partners to promote a more secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.” Australia’s defense ministry also declined to comment.
