--- description: The U.S. is deepening ties with an emerging regional group including Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, that Pentagon officials have privately nicknamed, the “Squad.” title: U.S. Assembles ‘Squad’ to Counter China in Indo-Pacific image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d2a886ddd88a294/698a56604ee262051a31e0bb/lloyd-austin.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [diplomacy](/tag/diplomacy/) ## diplomacy Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The U.S. Is Assembling a ‘Squad’ of Allies to Counter China in the Indo-Pacific by [Peter Martin and Ben Westcott / Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/) ## Peter Martin and Ben Westcott / Bloomberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 3, 2024 6:55 AM CUT  U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinSaul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images by [Peter Martin and Ben Westcott / Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/) ## Peter Martin and Ben Westcott / Bloomberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 3, 2024 6:55 AM CUT Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met Thursday with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines as the U.S. deepens ties with an emerging regional group that Pentagon officials have privately nicknamed, the “Squad.” The quadrilateral grouping is one of a number of regional partnerships that Washington has used to push back against China’s assertiveness in Asia. There is also the “Quad” comprised of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan and “Aukus,” a defense pact among Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. “We’ve gathered here because we share a vision for peace, stability and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said during a joint press briefing in Hawaii with his three counterparts. “We’ve chartered an ambitious course to advance that vision together.” **Read More:** [_Why Asian Allies Are Wary of the U.S. Election—and Why Experts Say They Don’t Need to Be_](https://time.com/6968434/indo-pacific-security-alliances-us-presidential-election-trump-biden-asia/ "undefined") The defense chiefs of the “Squad” [met](https://www.mod.go.jp/en/article/2023/06/3db378b4e049ee13c3b8b7fe99a95da31edee9ff.html "undefined") for the first time in June 2023 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore. In April, the four nations conducted joint maritime [patrols](https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/3733363/joint-statement-australia-japan-philippines-united-states-maritime-cooperative/ "undefined") within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Speaking after the talks on Friday, Austin announced the four-country group would look at undertaking more maritime exercises, as well as providing greater security assistance to the Philippines. **Read More:** [_Why the U.S. Faces a Delicate Balancing Act on Countering China in the South China Sea_](https://time.com/6960916/us-military-intervention-south-china-sea-philippines-china/ "undefined") Austin said the U.S. had been clear to all nations, including China, that the recent behavior in the South China Sea was “irresponsible” and “disregards international law.” China views the U.S.’s multilateral groupings as part of Washington’s attempts to contain China. A story in the state-run _Global Times_ this week [warned](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202404/1311432.shtml "undefined") that the grouping risked “exacerbating regional risks.” **Read More:** [_Why the U.S. Is Building Out Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific—and How It Could Backfire_](https://time.com/6965720/us-japan-philippines-trilateral-summit-china-alliances-strategy/ "undefined") A U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss the “Squad” said the grouping aims to counter coercion and aggression across Asia, as well as to ensure that defense capabilities among their militaries are increasingly inter-operable, allowing them to work more efficiently together in the event of conflict. The official said the quadrilateral group aims to conduct more joint patrols in the coming months and years and that these patrols will add more capabilities over time. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6974257/us-australia-japan-philippines-squad-china/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6974257/us-australia-japan-philippines-squad-china/"},"headline":"The U.S. Is Assembling a ‘Squad’ of Allies to Counter China in the Indo-Pacific","datePublished":"2024-05-03T06:55:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T17:33:35.972Z","description":"The U.S. is deepening ties with an emerging regional group including Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, that Pentagon officials have privately nicknamed, the “Squad.”","url":"https://time.com/6974257/us-australia-japan-philippines-squad-china/","keywords":["diplomacy","wire","overnight","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d2a886ddd88a294/698a56604ee262051a31e0bb/lloyd-austin.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Peter Martin and Ben Westcott / Bloomberg"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d2a886ddd88a294/698a56604ee262051a31e0bb/lloyd-austin.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin","caption":"U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin","creditText":"Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/diplomacy/","name":"diplomacy"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6974257/us-australia-japan-philippines-squad-china/","name":"The U.S. Is Assembling a ‘Squad’ of Allies to Counter China in the Indo-Pacific"}}]}] ```