Philippines says military leaders working to set up ‘one-theatre’ approach in East, South China seas
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The Philippines and China have clashed frequently in the South China Sea around disputed shoals and atolls.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA – Military leaders are working to enforce a “one-theatre” concept in both the East and South China seas, the Philippines’ defence minister said on June 30, adding that the South-east Asian country faces threats in disputed waters that are similar to Japan’s.
Japanese newspaper Asahi reported in April that Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani made a proposal to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as a single “theatre”, referring to a military area of operation.
Mr Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippines’ Secretary of National Defence, said it was “reasonable” to treat both the East and South China seas as a single area of operation, saying both are maritime areas with no land borders involved.
However, he said the area should exclude the Korean Peninsula.
“That will involve synergy in operations, synergy in domain awareness, in intelligence exchange, and in mutually reinforcing our strengths to work doubly real-time,” he said at a briefing during the visit of his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene.
Japan and China have repeatedly faced off over uninhabited Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu.
The Philippines and China, meanwhile, have clashed frequently in the South China Sea around disputed shoals and atolls that fall inside Manila's exclusive economic zone.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Japan’s Joint Operations Command is operationalising the single-theatre concept, and the Squad grouping that includes the defence ministers of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the US will establish a coordinating centre in December to enforce it, Mr Teodoro said.
“So it is already an operating concept. It does not need any other agreement,” Mr Teodoro said.
Japan and the Philippines in 2024 signed a military agreement
Under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines has extended its arc of alliances beyond the US, its traditional ally, signing defence deals with Japan and New Zealand, and negotiating for similar agreements with Canada and France.
On June 30, the Philippines and Lithuania signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen defence cooperation in areas like cyber security, maritime security and munitions production.
“The interesting thing is that we’re facing absolutely similar threats and our hostile neighbours are using absolutely similar approaches,” Mr Sakaliene said in the joint briefing with Mr Teodoro. REUTERS
