Philippines leader links Australia to potential new quadrilateral defence pact

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos has flagged a potential new quadrilateral defence arrangement with Australia, South Korea and Japan in the wake of last August’s Taiwan Strait crisis.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos has flagged a potential new quadrilateral defence arrangement with Australia, South Korea and Japan to shore up his nation’s security in the wake of last August’s Taiwan Strait crisis, and amid rising US-China tension he described as “very, very worrisome for us”.

Mr Marcos, the son and namesake of The Philippines’ late kleptocratic leader, referred to efforts to bring together the four countries while discussing defence pacts in an interview with the Financial Times in Davos, where he was attending the World Economic Forum.

He spoke of closer military ties with the US, including more frequent US troop rotations through his country, and of ongoing talks towards a defence co-operation pact with Japan, then added: “We’re trying to put together Australia, Japan, South Korea, The Philippines.”

The comment raised eyebrows across the region, with some analysts pointing to a growing trend for interlocking regional “mini-lateral” security arrangements, and others suggesting the new President was more likely seeking to make The Philippines a visiting defence hub for the region’s major maritime powers.

Asked about the comments, an Australian Defence Ministry spokesperson said: “Australia enjoys longstanding and positive bilateral security partnerships with Japan, South Korea and The Philippines.

“We work closely with them – and all of our partners – to support a stable, peaceful, resilient and prosperous region with ASEAN at its centre.”

Euan Graham, a senior defence fellow with Singapore’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, said while Mr Marcos had moved quickly to repair The Philippines’ alliance with the US since his May election, he would be surprised if he were trying to build a formal quadrilateral agreement that included Japan and South Korea.

The comments point to a more assertive and Western-leaning defence strategy for the strategically located Southeast Asian nation that will be welcomed by the US and the region’s maritime powers, including Australia.

Australia and the US already have formal visiting forces agreements with Manila, and the current defence talks with Japan include similar provisions.

South Korea has previously shown little appetite for security pacts that could jeopardise its relationship with China, though the Yoon administration last month unveiled a new Indo-Pacific strategy that closely aligns with the US strategy.

The Philippines’ most populous northern island of Luzon is just 250km from Taiwan’s main island, and lies on the South China Sea, over which Beijing claims almost complete territorial rights.