The Philippine Department of National Defense announced on April 6 that the militaries of the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines will conduct “maritime cooperation operations” (MCA) to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
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| A US Marine Corps V-22 Osprey flies over the Australian amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra during a joint exercise between the Australian and Philippine militaries at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, on August 25, 2023. (Source: AFP) |
The Philippine Department of National Defense cited a joint statement from the four sides confirming that the above activity will be conducted within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Southeast Asian country on April 7.
In a similar move, the Pentagon's website also posted a joint statement from four sides.
Accordingly, “Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States protect freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect maritime rights as provided for by international law, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
To demonstrate our shared commitment to enhancing international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, our armed forces/defense forces will conduct MCA within the Philippine EEZ.”
The statement stressed that the MCA “will be carried out by naval and air force units in accordance with international law as well as domestic laws and regulations of relevant countries, with due regard for maritime safety and the rights and interests of other countries.”
The activities of the four countries mentioned above “will also demonstrate professional interactions of naval and air forces”.
The goal of the MCA is to “enhance interoperability between the doctrines, tactics, techniques and procedures of our armed/defense forces.”
The statement pledged to “stand with all nations in defending the international order based on the rule of law, which is the foundation of a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region.”
The US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines also reaffirmed their stance on the ruling of the International Court of Arbitration in the Philippines' lawsuit against China over the East Sea dispute in 2016, saying that this is "the final and legally binding judgment for the disputing parties".
The MCA will take place days before a trilateral summit between the leaders of the United States, Japan and the Philippines in Washington. At the meeting next week, the participants will discuss recent incidents in the South China Sea.
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