U.S., Australia, India and Japan Plan Joint Coast Guard Patrols

The United States, Australia, India, and Japan are planning joint coast guard and maritime police patrols in the Indo-Pacific region. This comes amid China’s growing activity in the region.

The Japanese Kyodo News reported on this, citing diplomatic sources.

According to the media, the plan involving the coast guards of the four countries is expected to be included in a joint statement to be released at the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) summit next Saturday in the United States.

The Biden Administration is pushing to strengthen and institutionalize QUAD. It is seen as a counter to China’s growing military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The first joint observer mission is planned for next year. During this mission, members of the Japanese Coast Guard, along with their Australian and Indian counterparts, will board a U.S. Coast Guard ship. The mission aims to enhance interoperability among the countries and uphold maritime order based on the rule of law. The mission will be conducted on a rotational basis.

Tension in the South China Sea

According to the U.S. military outlet STARS AND STRIPES, the Chief of the U.S. Indian Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, spoke via video conference on September 9 with General Wu Yanan, Commander of China’s Southern Theater Command, which oversees the South China Sea.

Discussions among senior leaders reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation, Paparo said, according to the command. He cited recent “dangerous interactions” between China and U.S. allies and reinforced Beijing’s commitment to comply with international laws and norms to ensure operational security.

Lieutenant General He Lei, former vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences of the People’s Liberation Army, sharply criticized the U.S. plans. “If the United States insists on being a conspirator who pushes others to stand on the front lines to confront China, or if it has no choice but to challenge us on its own, the Chinese people and [the army] will never be shaken,” the newspaper reported.

Another problem, in addition to China’s coastal defense and its navy, is the “People’s Liberation Army Maritime Police”. Which is in fact a hybrid force consisting of “civilian” Chinese fishing vessels. This hybrid behavior greatly complicates the creation of rules and instructions for naval and coast guard commanders of other countries.

Only last month, Chinese ships twice rammed Philippine Coast Guard vessels in disputed waters near Sabina Shoal, causing serious damage to the Philippine vessels.

As a result of the August 19 incident, the BRP Bagacay patrol ship sustained holes in its side above the waterline.

The latest such incident took place on August 31, when a Chinese Coast Guard ship with the number 5205 collided with the BRP Teresa Magbanua near Sabina Shoal.

Diplomats from both countries exchanged accusations of provocation and dangerous behavior at sea after each incident.