The informal “Squad” strategic alliance includes the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines. It’s like the QUAD but emphasizes “S” for security.
The “Squad” could be expanding, but we’re not talking about the informal, progressive coalition of Democratic lawmakers, which saw two members defeated during last year’s primary season. Instead, the informal “Squad” strategic alliance includes the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.
It is similar to the Quad, the Quadrilateral Security Dialog, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, was first established in 2007 and then restarted in 2017 as a diplomatic rather than security partnership.
That differs from the “Squad,” where the “S” has been seen to emphasize the security role between the members.
Now, the squad and quad could become one, as Manila has called for India and South Korea to join the strategic alliance to counter China’s growing expansion in the South China Sea.
The waters remain a significant shipping route, and in 2016, more than 40 percent of Beijing’s total trade transited the South China Sea. The United Nations (UN) Conference on Trade and Development estimated that over 21 percent of global trade, amounting to $3.37 trillion, also traveled through the waters.
“Together with Japan and our partners, we are trying to expand the Squad to include India and probably South Korea,” General Romeo S. Brawner, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, said at the recent Raisina Dialogue, a multilateral conference in New Delhi.
Why the “Squad” Matters: A Contested Region
As previously reported, territorial disputes in the South China Sea aren’t new.
Tensions flared over the waters as early as the late eighteenth century. In the years leading up to the Second World War, competing claims were made to the Paracel and Spratly Islands, which the Japanese occupied during the conflict.
The subsequent Treaty of San Francisco, signed in September 1951, failed to specify the new status of those islands. Still, the Republic of China (RoC), commonly known as Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) claim them.
The islands are within the latter’s current “ten-dash line” map, even as the Geneva Accords of 1954 gave South Vietnam control of the Paracels and Spratlys.
The disputes also go far beyond the small patches of land.
This is about controlling the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits and the aforementioned shipping routes. The area is also home to fishing grounds that provide the livelihoods of millions throughout the region, with more than half of the world’s fishing vessels operating.
In 2016, International and UN courts ruled against Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea. In response, China simply rejected the ruling while refusing to acknowledge sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
As James Holmes wrote for The National Interest last year, the region has a far deeper meaning for Beijing.
“Sovereignty is a powerful word for societies that were once the playthings of empires. They have linked their claims to the crusade to banish memories of the nation’s ‘century of humiliation’ at the hands of seaborne conquerors,” Holmes added.
“They have made wrestling background the core of Xi’s ‘China Dream’ of national rejuvenation. These themes resonate. Xi has pledged to make good on them, and he has done so repeatedly and in the most impassioned terms.”
However, China’s Dream has been a nightmare for the other regional powers, so the Philippines is now looking to Beijing’s most significant territorial rival, especially as it continues to expand its military and deploy its warships, notably aircraft carriers, to the region.
“Moving forward, we believe that they [China] will take full control of the South China Sea,” General Brawner added.
Trump and the Squad/Quad: Do They Have a Common Enemy?
Even as the Trump administration seems almost intent on leaving European defense to the Europeans, the White House remains highly critical of China. The Pentagon has continued to warn that Beijing is the greatest security threat to the United States, a sentiment echoed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.
Brawner’s recent comments also align with that view.
“We find commonality with India because we have a common enemy. And I’m not afraid to say that China is our common enemy. So, it’s important that we collaborate, maybe exchange intelligence,” Brawner told reporters and added that the Philippines is already partnering with New Delhi on such matters.
The question is whether that collaboration is expanded and if the Quad does evolve into the Squad.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: at [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff.
