Updates on developments in Indonesia and the Philippines relative to US actions
1. President Trump has balked at upholding the country’s NATO commitments, demanded massive increases in defense spending from such long-standing allies as Japan and South Korea, and suggested that underpaying allies should be left to fight their own wars with shared adversaries. Trump’s ire has been so relentless and damaging that U.S. allies in Asia and Europe now question American ability to restore itself as a credible security guarantor, even after a different president is in the White House. This is why there is a muted response to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser report that at least seven submarines, but likely more, including all four Guam-based attack submarines, the San Diego-based USS Alexandria and multiple Hawaii-based vessels were part of the effort to show U.S. naval strength in the region while highlighting the Pentagon's efforts to be flexible and unpredictable.
2 The US Navy only advertises the presence of its submarines to make a point to an adversary – but in this case, it could also be to highlight how the U.S. has remained flexible while dealing with the pandemic. Submarines have been seen as an important part of maintaining a balance of power in the Western Pacific region including the East and South China Seas, and the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) force remains central to the country's nuclear arsenal.
3. Three of the U.S. 7th Fleet's submarines took part in an advanced warfighting training exercise in the Philippines Sea, and that involved conducting maritime security operations, surface and subsurface combat scenarios.
4. By repeatedly challenging Beijing’s claims, Indonesia is pursuing a strategy of “persistent objection” and preserving its right, under international law, not to be bound by the concocted norms that China appears to be pushing. Further, under UNCLOS 1982, Indonesia does not have overlapping claims with China, so it is not necessary to hold any dialogue on maritime boundary delimitation. Going forward, Indonesia will say this over and over again.
5. Locsin wrote on social media that the suspension was made upon Duterte's "instruction". "It has been received by Washington and well at that," he added.
6. In a statement, the US embassy said it welcomed the Philippine government's decision.
7. I would recommend also having a look at "From ‘Boots’ to ‘Brogues’: The Rise of Defence Diplomacy in Southeast Asia, Bhubhindar Singh & See Seng Tan, RSIS Monograph No. 21, 2011". The establishment of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2006, a key element of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) vision put forth in the ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II) of 2003, is an extraordinary achievement for Southeast Asia. An element of defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia is its commitment to engaging the outside region. The creation of the ADMM+8— comprising the 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the United States—in 2010 is a salient mark of the importance which the ASEAN countries assign to engaging the external powers.
8. ADMM and ADMM Plus, despite its limitations, enable each ASEAN defence minister to regularly engage with their plus 8 counterparts in defence matters, including their crucial Plus 8 relationships with the American, the Australian, the Indian, the Japanese, the Korean and the Chinese, defence ministers.
For instance, India is seeking reciprocal military logistics pacts with like-minded countries, like Japan, to extend its strategic and naval operational reach, with an eye firmly on China’s expansionist behavior in the Indo-Pacific. India has already entered into mutual logistics support arrangement (MLSA) with Australia, US, France, South Korea and Singapore. These regular interactions and confidence building measures enable the 18 ADMM Plus parties to cooperate by entering into MLSAs or to limit and manage disputes, where needed.
1. President Trump has balked at upholding the country’s NATO commitments, demanded massive increases in defense spending from such long-standing allies as Japan and South Korea, and suggested that underpaying allies should be left to fight their own wars with shared adversaries. Trump’s ire has been so relentless and damaging that U.S. allies in Asia and Europe now question American ability to restore itself as a credible security guarantor, even after a different president is in the White House. This is why there is a muted response to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser report that at least seven submarines, but likely more, including all four Guam-based attack submarines, the San Diego-based USS Alexandria and multiple Hawaii-based vessels were part of the effort to show U.S. naval strength in the region while highlighting the Pentagon's efforts to be flexible and unpredictable.
2 The US Navy only advertises the presence of its submarines to make a point to an adversary – but in this case, it could also be to highlight how the U.S. has remained flexible while dealing with the pandemic. Submarines have been seen as an important part of maintaining a balance of power in the Western Pacific region including the East and South China Seas, and the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) force remains central to the country's nuclear arsenal.
3. Three of the U.S. 7th Fleet's submarines took part in an advanced warfighting training exercise in the Philippines Sea, and that involved conducting maritime security operations, surface and subsurface combat scenarios.
4. By repeatedly challenging Beijing’s claims, Indonesia is pursuing a strategy of “persistent objection” and preserving its right, under international law, not to be bound by the concocted norms that China appears to be pushing. Further, under UNCLOS 1982, Indonesia does not have overlapping claims with China, so it is not necessary to hold any dialogue on maritime boundary delimitation. Going forward, Indonesia will say this over and over again.
5. Locsin wrote on social media that the suspension was made upon Duterte's "instruction". "It has been received by Washington and well at that," he added.
"The suspension shall start on even date and shall continue for six months, which period is extendible by the Philippines for another six months," after which the countdown to termination "shall resume", read a June 1 letter by Locsis to the embassy of the US in Manila.
6. In a statement, the US embassy said it welcomed the Philippine government's decision.
7. I would recommend also having a look at "From ‘Boots’ to ‘Brogues’: The Rise of Defence Diplomacy in Southeast Asia, Bhubhindar Singh & See Seng Tan, RSIS Monograph No. 21, 2011". The establishment of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2006, a key element of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) vision put forth in the ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II) of 2003, is an extraordinary achievement for Southeast Asia. An element of defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia is its commitment to engaging the outside region. The creation of the ADMM+8— comprising the 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the United States—in 2010 is a salient mark of the importance which the ASEAN countries assign to engaging the external powers.
8. ADMM and ADMM Plus, despite its limitations, enable each ASEAN defence minister to regularly engage with their plus 8 counterparts in defence matters, including their crucial Plus 8 relationships with the American, the Australian, the Indian, the Japanese, the Korean and the Chinese, defence ministers.
For instance, India is seeking reciprocal military logistics pacts with like-minded countries, like Japan, to extend its strategic and naval operational reach, with an eye firmly on China’s expansionist behavior in the Indo-Pacific. India has already entered into mutual logistics support arrangement (MLSA) with Australia, US, France, South Korea and Singapore. These regular interactions and confidence building measures enable the 18 ADMM Plus parties to cooperate by entering into MLSAs or to limit and manage disputes, where needed.
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