ASOG's Ong offers courses of action to further PH-AUS maritime security cooperation at 3rd Philippine-Australia Maritime Dialogue

A strengthened maritime partnership framework was the highlight of the 3rd Philippine-Australia Maritime Dialogue held last 5 July 2023 in Manila. The Philippines hosted the dialogue, enjoining experts and scholars from both Australia and the Philippines to discuss emerging regional trends and security issues in the Indo-Pacific, maritime security cooperation between Australia and the Philippines, and marine environmental issues.

In his presentation, RAdm Rommel Jude Ong (Ret), Professor of Praxis at the Ateneo School of Government, tackled the trajectories of key regional flashpoints, the trajectory of great power competition in the Indo-Pacific, and regional countries’ attitudes and responses to growing strategic competition in the region. On the topic of gray zone tactics, RAdm Ong pointed out the need to debunk gray zone coercion to counter decision paralysis in governments and to challenge China’s assertions of sea control in naval terms.

Confronted by the changing power dynamics in the region, the Philippines and Australia may find areas of further cooperation by converging in the Solomon Islands, working together to protect the West Philippine Sea and Australian trade routes, countering malign influence operations, and eradicating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF), as opined by RAdm Ong.

The discussion also broached topics about improving maritime cooperation, covering topics like maritime security and safety, environmental protection, and defense cooperation.