Wed Mar 19 11:38:28 UTC 2025: ## Philippines Seeks India’s Inclusion in South China Sea Maritime Grouping
**New Delhi, March 19, 2025** – The Philippines is actively pursuing India’s participation in the “Squad,” a maritime security grouping comprising Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, operating in the South China Sea. This call for greater cooperation was made by Philippine Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner at the Raisina Dialogue. General Brawner, citing China as a common adversary, plans to formally raise the issue of India joining the Squad with Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.
Discussions between General Brawner and General Chauhan focused on strengthening military collaboration, maritime security, and defense technology partnerships. Both sides reiterated their commitment to enhance engagement through joint training and strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi highlighted the dynamic geopolitical, technological, and tactical landscape impacting security. He emphasized the Indian Navy’s readiness to meet existing and emerging challenges, through force structuring, strategic deployments, and partnerships with other nations. Admiral Tripathi underscored the importance of self-reliance while leveraging best practices from international collaborations.
General Brawner expressed the Philippines’ view that China aims to dominate the entire South China Sea, characterizing the region as a key area of US-China competition. The Philippines’ reliance on partnerships to counter this influence was also emphasized.
The strong bilateral ties between India and the Philippines were further evidenced by the January 2022 deal for the delivery of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The Philippines, the first export customer for the missile system, has indicated interest in procuring additional military platforms from India.
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