Joint Readout From Australia-Japan-Philippines-United States Defense Ministers' Meeting

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru, the Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, met together on May 2 in Hawaii. This marked the second-ever meeting of the defense leaders of these four nations, highlighting significant collaboration to advance a shared vision for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The Ministers and Secretaries expressed serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas. They strongly objected to the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea. They reiterat...