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Austin will then host a quadrilateral meeting with the Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro and their Japanese and Australian counterparts.
The meeting marks the second-ever joint meeting among the four countries’ defense ministers.
The defense leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen security among the four nations.
These discussions come at a critical time for defense cooperation throughout the region, a defense official said, noting China’s recent harassment of Philippine vessels operating in the South China Sea.
“Japan and Australia have been some of our most vocal and staunchest allies in speaking up about the completely unacceptable nature of this behavior,” the official said.
The official also noted the Philippines’ efforts to highlight China’s concerning behavior throughout the region.
“How we, as allies, not only operate together, but how we think about addressing the really worrisome operational behavior and coercion that we see taking place in a number of places across the region, is obviously a topic that we’re going to focus on together,” the official said.
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Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Author: Joseph Clark, DOD News
Format: Article
China Policy Research 