MANILA, Philippines- Nais ni Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. na maging bahagi ang South Korea ng alyansa para sa malayang Indo-Pacific region na tinaguriang “Squad.”
“We believe that they also have a stake in the security aspect of the region,” pahayag ni Brawner sa ambush interview nitong Miyerkules.
“Even if we say this is an informal security architecture, we believe that more countries joining this would be beneficial because we are promoting in fact the same objectives, which is to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and also a rules-based international order,” dagdag niya.
Pinagsama-sama ng United States ang grupong kinabibilangan ng Australia, Japan, at ng Pilipinas, na may iisang hangarin para sa kapayapaan, katatagan, at pagdepensa sa Indo-Pacific.
Nang tanungin kung binuo ang Squad upang kontrahin ang China, sinabi ni Brawner hindi nilikha ang alyansa upang labanan ang anumang bansa kundi upang palakasin ang kanilang kapabilidad.
“Because the more countries that you have on your side, the better. You become stronger as a collective group rather than individual countries with their own interests. Because we found out that we in fact have common interests. Our countries have common interests,” wika ng opisyal.
Noong February 5, nakibahagi ang mga militar mula sa Pilipinas, US, Japan, at Australia sa joint exercise sa West Philippine Sea. RNT/SA
