Manila [Philippines], July 1: Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on June 30 that military leaders are working to implement the concept of "one battlefield" in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea, according to Reuters.
In April, the Japanese newspaper Asahi reported that Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani proposed to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider the East China Sea, the South China Sea the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as a single "battlefield," referring to a military operation area, according to Reuters.
On June 30, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said it was "reasonable" to consider both the East China Sea and the South China Sea as a single area of operation, but this area should exclude the Korean Peninsula , according to Reuters.
"That will involve coordination in operations... in the exchange of intelligence and in mutually reinforcing our strengths to work effectively," Minister Teodoro told a news conference during a visit by his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene.
According to Mr. Teodoro, the Philippines is facing threats in disputed waters similar to Japan.
Japan and China have repeatedly clashed over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. Meanwhile, the Philippines and China often confront each other in the South China Sea over disputed shoals and atolls that Manila claims fall within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
Minister Teodoro added that Japan's Joint Operations Command is implementing the concept of a single "battlefield" and the "Task Force" group comprising the defense ministers of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States will establish a coordination center in December to implement the concept.
Last year, Japan and the Philippines signed a military agreement allowing troops from both countries to be present on each other's territory.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines expanded its alliances beyond the United States, signing defense agreements with Japan and New Zealand, and negotiating similar deals with Canada and France, according to Reuters.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
