Asia
10 Most Affordable Destinations in Indonesia: Winter retreats on a budget
When stepping into Indonesia, every globetrotter finds it to be a treasure-trove of islands. A nation adorned with natural wonders, each island tells a tale of its own. Especially the historical attractions along with spectacular beaches hold surprises for winter wanderlusts. Unveiling the budget-friendly gems, this list meanders through Indonesia's winter retreats. These are the most affordable tourist spots in the Indonesian archipelago.
10 Best Budget-Friendly Indonesian Destinations to Visit in Winter
Gili Islands
A trio of small islands off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia, the Gili Islands are famed for their lush vegetation and world-class diving and snorkeling spots. The underwater world surrounding these islands is a mesmerizing sight, easily accessible from any point along the shoreline.
For those considering a journey from Dhaka to Lombok by air, the most economical per-head deal is USD 334 in parity with BDT 36,689.97, with the exchange rate at USD 1 = BDT 109.85.
Accommodation costs per person are generally IDR 146,755 or BDT 1,027.21 (IDR 1 = BDT 0.007), and a day's worth of meals can be budgeted at IDR 49,993 which is equivalent to BDT 349.93.
Read more: Best Asian Alternatives to the Maldives: Affordable Island Getaways
Ubud
Located in the uplands of Bali, Ubud offers a central hub of attractions. The Royal Palace, situated in the heart of town, is free for visitors, and just down the road lies the Sacred Monkey Forest, a popular destination. A bemo ride takes travelers to the famous Goa Gajah, an elephant cave in Bedulu village, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for intricate carvings.
Accommodation costs in Ubud typically IDR 2,142,151 in proportion to BDT 14,993.94, with budget options such as Agung Trisna Bungalows and Inang Villa. The daily charge for food in Ubud is approximately IDR 189,959 equaling BDT 1329.61.
The most cost-effective airfare from Dhaka to Ngurah Rai Airport is USD 252 in parity with BDT 27,682.25.
Read more: Shopping in Malaysia: What to Buy, Where to Buy from
Best Asian Alternatives to the Maldives: Affordable Island Getaways
Nestled serenely within the expanse of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives has lured travelers with its opulent allure. The pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and luxurious resorts have made it an icon in high-end travel. Yet, for those with a more budget-conscious spirit, some exotic tourist destinations in the heart of Asia can offer almost similar experiences. Let’s take a look into some of the most popular budget-friendly Asian alternatives to the Maldives.
10 Best Budget-Friendly Alternatives to the Maldives in Asia
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
This tropical paradise, along with its mesmerizing blend of stone and sand beaches, is located in the Andaman Sea. Among this island group comprising six distinct islands, Phi Phi Don is renowned for its Monkey Beach and Maya Bay.
In the case of spending the night, Tropical Garden Bungalows come with a jungle vibe with modern amenities.
The airfare to Phitsanulok, the nearest airport to this place, from Bangladesh starts at USD 230 (BDT 25,264.65 at an exchange rate of USD 1 = BDT 109.85) per person.
Meals cost approximately THB 417 or BDT 1,289.45 (THB 1 = BDT 3.09) per day, while local transportation is estimated at THB 253 or BDT 782.33 daily.
The average cost for a couple's hotel stay in Koh Phi Phi is THB 2,956 (BDT 9,140.58).
Read more: Beach Bucket List: 9 Magnificent Sea Shores in South Asia
Koh Lipe, Thailand
This hidden gem, located in the Andaman Sea, offers hiking opportunities to take in the island's natural beauty from elevated vantage points. The island provides a variety of amenities, from bars and open-air restaurants to cafes and massage shacks.
Top 25 hotels in Asia, according to Tripadvisor
Asia is often considered the most diverse continent in the world. From winter escapades to tropical retreats, Asia offers a vacation experience unlike any other. To complement these retreat options, there are thousands of hotels and vacation stays available across countries. In this article, let's take a look at 25 of the best hotels in Asia and the amenities that await travellers.
Best Hotels in Asia According to Tripadvisor
This list will focus on ratings taken from Tripadvisor, one of the leading websites for hotel reviews. The platform takes reviews and ratings from thousands of users based on their experience and aggregates them to create their list. Let’s start from the bottom.
#25 Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
The last on the list is Four Seasons Hong Kong. The hotel is situated right across the famous Victoria Harbor adjoining the Hong Kong financial district. Visitors can conveniently access the Hong Kong metro and the famed Star Ferry Terminal.
The specialty of his hotel is the incorporation of several world-leading features into their service. The most notable of them are the two Michelin-starred restaurants: Caprice and Lung King Heen. The latter is also the first authentic Chinese restaurant to receive this honor.
Read more: These are the countries you can visit visa-free with a Bangladeshi passport in 2023
There is also their award-winning spa experience on the rooftop adjoining the infinity pool overlooking the Hong Kong skyline.
Cambodia Travel Guide: Best Places to See and Amazing Things to Do
Located around the edge of Southeast Asia, Cambodia is a country bestowed with natural beauty and archaeological heritage. This small country has a mix of everything from luscious beaches down south to the ethereal jungle temples in the north. It’s a maze of amazements waiting to be explored. Let's take a look at the 10 most amazing tourist attractions in Cambida.
10 Most Popular Tourist Destinations in Cambodia
The Temple of Angkor Wat
It's difficult to find someone who hasn’t heard of the legendary temple of Angkor Wat. This UNESCO world heritage site was built in the 12th Century by the Khmer Empire. There’s a lot to explore other than the main temple of Angkor Wat. The temple of Bayon and Ta Prohm gets a special mention in this regard.
G-7 leaders likely to focus on the war in Ukraine and tensions in Asia at summit in Hiroshima
The symbolism will be palpable when leaders of the world's rich democracies sit down in Hiroshima, a city whose name evokes the tragedy of war, to tackle a host of challenges including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in Asia.
The attention on the war in Europe comes just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy completed a whirlwind trip to meet many of the Group of Seven leaders now heading to Japan for the summit starting Friday. That tour was aimed at adding to his country's weapons stockpile and building political support ahead of a widely anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim lands occupied by Moscow's forces.
Also Read: G7 finance leaders vow to contain inflation, strengthen supply chains but avoid mention of China
“Ukraine has driven this sense of common purpose” for the G-7, said Matthew P. Goodman, senior vice president for economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
He said the new commitments Zelenskyy received just ahead of the summit could push members of the bloc to step up their support even further. “There’s a kind of peer pressure that develops in forums like this,” he explained.
G-7 leaders are also girding for the possibility of renewed conflict in Asia as relations with China deteriorate. They are increasingly concerned, among other things, about what they see as Beijing's growing assertiveness, and fear that China could could try to seize Taiwan by force, sparking a wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and regularly sends ships and warplanes near it.
Also Read: South Korea and Japan use G-7 to push improvement in ties long marked by animosity
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also hopes to highlight the risks of nuclear proliferation during the meeting in Hiroshima, the site of the world’s first atomic bombing.
The prospect of another nuclear attack has been crystalized by nearby North Korea’s nuclear program and spate of recent missile tests, and Russia's threats to use nuclear weapons in its war in Ukraine. China, meanwhile, is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal from an estimated 400 warheads today to 1,500 by 2035, according to Pentagon estimates.
Concerns about the strength of the global economy, rising prices and the debt limit crisis in the U.S. will be high on leaders' minds.
G-7 finance ministers and central bank chiefs meeting ahead of the summit pledged to enforce sanctions against Russia, tackle rising inflation, bolster financial systems and help countries burdened by heavy debts.
Also Read: G7 countries should end supporting fossil fuels, accelerating transition to renewable energy: CPD
The G-7 includes the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union.
That group is also lavishing more attention on the needs of the Global South — a term to describe mostly developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America — and has invited countries ranging from South American powerhouse Brazil to the tiny Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
By broadening the conversation beyond the world's richest industrialized nations, the group hopes to strengthen political and economic ties while shoring up support for efforts to isolate Russia and stand up to China's assertiveness around the world, analysts say.
“Japan was shocked when scores of developing countries were reluctant to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine last year," said Mireya Solís, director of the Center for East Asian Policy Studies at The Brookings Institution. “Tokyo believes that this act of war by a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council is a direct threat to the foundations of the postwar international system.”
Getting a diverse set of countries to uphold principles like not changing borders by force advances Japan's foreign policy priorities, and makes good economic sense since their often unsustainable debt loads and rising prices for food and energy are a drag on the global economy, she continued.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be attending. His country, which is overtaking China as the world's most populous and sees itself as a rising superpower, is playing host to a meeting of the much broader group of G-20 leading economies later this year.
For host Kishida, this weekend's meeting is an opportunity to spotlight his country’s more robust foreign policy.
The Japanese prime minister made a surprise trip to Kyiv in March, making him the country's first postwar leader to travel to a war zone, a visit freighted with symbolism given Japan's pacifist constitution but one that he was under domestic pressure to take.
Another notable inclusion in Hiroshima is South Korea, a fellow U.S. ally that has rapidly drawn closer to its former colonial occupier Japan as their relations thawed in the face of shared regional security concerns.
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to hold a separate three-way meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.
Sung-Yoon Lee, an East Asia expert at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, said that meeting sends a message to China, Russia and North Korea of “solidarity among the democracies in the region and their resolve to stand up to the increasingly threatening autocracies.”
Biden had been expected to make a historic stop in Papua New Guinea and then travel onward to Australia after the Hiroshima meeting, but he scrapped those latter two stops Tuesday to focus on the debt limit debate back in Washington.
The centerpiece of the Australia visit was a meeting of the Quad, a regional security grouping that the U.S. sees as a counterweight to China’s actions in the region. Beijing has criticized the group as an Asian version of the NATO military alliance.
The decision to host the G-7 in Hiroshima is no accident. Kishida, whose family is from the city, hopes the venue will underscore Japan's “commitment to world peace” and build momentum to “realize the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons,” he wrote on the online news site Japan Forward.
The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people, then dropped a second on Nagasaki three days later, killing another 70,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, effectively ending World War II and decades of Japanese aggression in Asia.
The shell and skeletal dome of one of the riverside buildings that survived the Hiroshima blast are the focal point of the Peace Memorial Park, which leaders are expected to visit.
Asian stocks higher after Wall St rebounds from bank jitters
Asian stock markets rebounded Wednesday after Wall Street stabilized following declines for bank stocks and U.S. inflation eased but stayed high.
Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney advanced. Oil prices rose more than $1 per barrel, recovering some of the previous day's losses.
Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index rose Tuesday as bank stocks recovered some of their losses caused by worries customers might pull out deposits following the collapse of two U.S. lenders.
Stocks rose despite data showing prices rose 6% over a year ago in February, decelerating from the previous month's 6.4% but above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.
Also Read: Asian shares mostly sink on jitters after US bank failure
“The anchoring of less hawkish expectations provided some catalyst for risk sentiments to recover,” said Yeap Jun Rong of IG in a report. “There were also no new negative headlines of another bank or funds in trouble, which allows investors’ sentiments to settle down.”
Investors had worried the Fed might respond to enduring upward pressure on prices by speeding up the pace of interest rate increases to dampen economic activity and inflation. But those jitters were overshadowed by anxiety about the U.S. financial system following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday and Signature Bank on Sunday. President Joe Biden and regulators tried to assure the public risks were contained and deposits in other banks were safe.
Tuesday's data showed core inflation, with volatile energy and food prices stripped out to show a clearer trend, was 0.5% in February over the previous month, edging up from January's 0.4% gain. The Fed pays close attention to core inflation in making monetary policy.
The Fed faces a dilemma over how to respond when banks already are under strain after the fastest pace of rate hikes in a decade knocked down prices of their assets.
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7% to 3,267.15 after Chinese economic activity improved in January and February but less than expected after anti-virus controls ended. Retail sales rose 3.5% over a year earlier, rebounding from December's 1.% contraction. Factory output rose 2.4%, up from 1.3%.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced 0.1% to 27,258.01 after major Japanese companies announced they had agreed with unions to the biggest wage increases in almost two decades. Low wages are seen as a major drag on economic growth in Japan, but fewer than one in five Japanese workers belong to unions.
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong jumped 1.3% to 19,490.35 and the Kospi in Seoul surged 1.5% to 2,384.38.
India's Sensex opened up 0.2% at 58,297.50. New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets advanced.
Traders rushed Monday to place bets that the Fed could keep rates steady at its next meeting, instead of accelerating to a hike of 0.50 percentage points, double last month's margin, according to data from CME Group.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 1.7% to 3,920.56, reversing from a three-day string of declines.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.1% to 32,155.40. The Nasdaq added 2.1% to 11,428.15.
First Republic Bank jumped 27% after plunging 67.5% over the prior three days. KeyCorp gained 6.9%, Zions Bancorp. rose 4.5% and Charles Schwab climbed 9.2%.
The yield on a two-year Treasury, or the difference between the market price and the payout at maturity, climbed back to 4.21% from 4.02% late Monday, another huge move. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 3.66% from 3.55%.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.08 to $72.41 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract plunged $3.47 on Tuesday to $71.33. Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, advanced $1.09 to $78.54 per barrel in London. It lost $3.32 the previous day to $77.45.
The dollar declined to 134.09 yen from Tuesday's 134.19 yen. The euro rose to $1.0754 from $1.0741.
Asian shares mostly sink on jitters after US bank failure
Asian shares mostly fell Monday, shaken by a Wall Street tumble that set off worries the biggest United States bank failure in nearly 15 years might have ripple effects around the world.
But the falls were relatively subdued because of reassurances from U.S. officials that financial shocks would be mitigated.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 1.6% to 27,685.86 in morning trading. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.3% to 7,125.90. South Korea's Kospi shed 0.4% to 2,385.25.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.4% to 19,594.07. The Shanghai Composite rose 0.3% to 3,238.98, as Chinese shares tracked a gain in U.S. futures. Dow futures were up 1.1% at 32,516.00. S&P 500 futures rose 1.4% to 3,952.50.
The recent developments in Chinese politics have also worked as a stabilizing factor. Major posts, including the governor of the Bank of China, as well as other political leaders, were announced, signaling a continuation of policy.
Also Read: Startup-focused Silicon Valley Bank becomes largest bank to fail since 2008 financial crisis
Before trading began in Asia, the U.S. Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley Bank clients will be protected and have access to their funds and announced steps designed to protect the bank’s customers and prevent more bank runs.
Regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank on Friday amid a run on the bank, which was the second-largest U.S. bank failure, behind the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. They also announced Sunday that New York-based Signature Bank was being seized after it became the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history.
Following two bank failures, worries about financial stability and liquidity concerns were dominating the market landscape, said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management in Hong Kong.
He said traders made nervous by the weekend's news could create “a ready-aim-fire Monday open.”
“With the market likely headed for a more turbulent period with US inflation on a collision course with Bank ‘theater of tragedy,’ now is probably not the best time for investor euphoria," Innes said.
But the sense that U.S. authorities were taking some steps to limit “the contagion effect” had somewhat of a calming effect, although “markets remain skittish” in Asia, said Venkateswaran Lavanya at Mizuho Bank.
Shares had tanked Friday on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 dropping 1.4% to cap its worst week since September.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 345 points, or 1.1%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 1.8%. The S&P 500 fell 56.73 points to 3,861.59. The Dow lost 345.22 to 31,909.64, and the Nasdaq dropped 199.47 to 11,138.89.
Some of the sharpest drops on Wall Street last week came from the financial industry. First Republic Bank tumbled 14.8%, while Charles Schwab lost another 11.7% after dropping 12.8% Thursday. Larger banks, which have been stress-tested by regulators following the 2008 financial crisis, held up better. JPMorgan Chase rose 2.5%.
In Tokyo trading, banking issues were sold, with MUFG Bank falling nearly 4%, echoing such falls on Wall Street. Shares in Mitsui Sumitomo Financial Group dipped 4.7% in morning trading.
Worries were growing recently that interest rates are set to go higher than expected after the Fed Reserve said it could reaccelerate the size of its rate hikes. The Fed is focusing on wage growth in particular in its fight against inflation. It worries too-high gains could cause a vicious cycle that worsens inflation.
Traders now largely expect the Fed to stick with a modest 0.25 point hike. Last month, the Fed slowed to that pace after earlier hiking by 0.50 and 0.75 points. The Fed has already raised rates at the fastest pace in decades and made other moves to reverse its tremendous support for the economy during the pandemic.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 26 cents to $76.42 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 35 cents to $82.43 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 134.40 Japanese yen from 134.96 yen. The euro cost $1.0694, up from $1.0643.
Qatar’s top diplomat is sworn in as new prime minister
Qatar’s top diplomat was sworn in as the country’s prime minister on Tuesday, replacing another member of the ruling family who had held the post since 2020, state news reported.
The Qatar News Agency says Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was sworn in as the new head of government, without providing further details.
Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, appoints the holders of top offices, usually from members of the ruling family. As in other Gulf Arab countries, politics is largely confined to the ruling family and developments are rarely aired in public.
Sheikh Mohammed has served as foreign minister since 2016 and was the public face of Qatar as it navigated a 3 1/2-year economic boycott by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt that only came to an end in January 2021.
He replaces Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, who had served as prime minister and interior minister — responsible for domestic security — since 2020. He was replaced as interior minister on Tuesday by Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Gas-rich Qatar, one of the wealthiest countries on earth, supported Islamist groups across the region during and after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, bringing it into conflict with its Gulf Arab neighbors, who view such groups as a threat to hereditary rule.
Relations have improved over the last two years. The rulers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt visited Qatar as it hosted soccer’s World Cup last year.
Blinken warns Central Asia of dangers from war in Ukraine
The Biden administration on Tuesday pledged to support the independence of the five Central Asian nations, in a not-so-subtle warning to the former Soviet states that Russia’s value as a partner has been badly compromised by its year-old war against Ukraine.
In Kazakhstan for meetings with top Central Asian diplomats, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said no country, particularly those that have traditionally been in Moscow’s orbit, can afford to ignore the threats posed by Russian aggression to not only their territory but to the international rules-based order and the global economy. In all of his discussions, Blinken stressed the importance of respect for “sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.”
The Central Asian states have hewed to a studied position of neutrality on Ukraine, neither supporting Russia’s invasion nor U.S. and Western condemnations of the war.
“Ever since being the first nation to recognize Kazakhstan in December of 1991, the United States has been firmly committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Kazakhstan and countries across the region,” Blinken said after meeting in Astana with the foreign ministers of the so-called C5+1 group, made up of the U.S. and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Also Read: Blinken tours Turkey’s earthquake zone, pledges $100M in aid
“In our discussions today, I reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Kazakhstan, like all nations, to freely determine its future, especially as we mark one year since Russia lost its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in a failed attempt to deny its people that very freedom,” Blinken told reporters at a news conference with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi.
Tileuberdi thanked Blinken for the U.S. commitment to Kazakhstan’s freedom, but signaled that his country was unlikely to adopt either a pro-Russian or pro-Western position. Tileuberdi said Kazakhstan would continue to act in its own national interest given “the complex international situation.”
“Our country continues a balanced multilateral foreign policy,” he said.
Tileuberdi noted that while Kazakhstan has very close and historic ties with both Russia and Ukraine, it would not allow its territory to be used for any Russian aggression or sanctions evasion. He added that even though Kazakhstan shares the world’s longest land border with Russia, it did not see a threat from Moscow.
Blinken also held separate meetings in Astana with the foreign ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Tajiistan and Turkmenistan. After visiting Kazakhstan, Blinken arrived in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on his first trip to Central Asia as secretary of state.
None of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia, traditionally viewed as part of the Kremlin’s sphere of influence, publicly backed the Russian invasion. Kazakhstan welcomed tens of thousands of Russians fleeing from the military call-up last fall. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has spoken by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy three times since Russian troops rolled into Ukraine last February, calling for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict in accordance with the U.N. charter and international law.
However, all five Central Asian republics, along with India, which Blinken will visit next after Uzbekistan, abstained in a vote to condemn the invasion as a violation of core international principles last week at the U.N. General Assembly, on the first anniversary of the war.
“If we allow (those principles) to be violated with impunity, that does open the prospect that Russia itself will continue to consider further aggression against other countries, if it sets its sights on them, or other countries will learn the wrong lesson and would-be aggressors in every part of the world will say ’well, if Russia can get away with this, then we can too,’” Blinken said. “That’s a recipe for a world of conflict, a world of instability, a world that I don’t think any of us want to live in.”
“So, that’s why it’s been so important for so many countries to stand up and say, no we don’t accept this,” he said.
The U.S. has for decades sought — without great success — to wean the former Soviet nations of the region from Moscow’s influence. Some, notably Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, assisted the U.S. logistically during its 20-year conflict in Afghanistan, but their ties to Russia remain deep and extend to the economic, military and diplomatic spheres as members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a Moscow-dominated grouping of ex-Soviet nations.
Philippines eyes South China Sea patrols with US, Australia
The Philippines is in talks with the United States as well as Australia on future joint patrols in the South China Sea, where China's increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed waters are causing concern, top defense officials in the three nations said Wednesday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez Jr., to reiterate Washington’s support and commitment to help defend its oldest treaty ally in Asia after a Chinese coast guard aimed a military-grade laser at a Philippine patrol vessel near a disputed shoal.
The Feb. 6 incident off Second Thomas Shoal briefly blinded some of the Filipino crew and prompted Manila to file a strongly worded diplomatic protest. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also summoned China’s ambassador to express his concern.
Also Read: US renews warning it’ll defend Philippines after China spat
“The two leaders discussed proposals to deepen operational cooperation and enhance the United States and the Philippines’ shared security, including the recent decision to resume combined maritime activities in the South China Sea,” according to details of the phone conversation provided by Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
During Austin's visit to Manila this month, Galvez and U.S. officials had said the allies agreed to carry out joint patrols.
Separately, Galvez and visiting Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a news conference on Wednesday that they were looking at Australian and Philippine forces possibly carrying out their joint patrols in the busy waterway.
Also Read: US, Philippines agree on larger American military presence
As countries asserting the rule of law, including the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, in the South China Sea, where a bulk of Australia’s trade traverses, “we did talk today about the possibility of exploring joint patrols,” Marles said, without elaborating.
Australian and Philippine forces have undertaken joint patrols off the southern Philippines in the past to counter terrorist threats, Galvez said, and added, “We can do it again."
Aside from the United States, Australia is the only other country that struck a defense agreement with the Philippines for joint combat exercises in the country. The Philippine Constitution prohibits the permanent basing of foreign troops and their involvement in local combat.
Austin announced after meeting Marcos on Feb. 2 that the Philippines had approved an expanded U.S. military presence by allowing rotating batches of U.S. forces to stay in four more Philippine military camps, in addition to five others.
It was the latest move by the Biden administration to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan.
Austin reaffirmed in his talk with Galvez on Wednesday the U.S. Defense Department’s “commitment to bolstering the Philippines’ defense capabilities and capacity to resist coercion as the allies develop a security-sector assistance roadmap.” No details of the mutual security plan were immediately provided.
China opposes military activities involving the U.S. and its allies, especially in the South China Sea, and has warned Washington not to meddle in what it says is a purely Asian dispute.
Chinese forces have protested the presence of U.S. Navy ships and fighter jets that have been enforcing freedom of movement in the contested waters. The U.S. military insists it would exercise its rights under international law to sail and fly in international waters.
In Jakarta, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday that China would work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is currently led by Indonesia, to hasten negotiations on a proposed nonaggression pact, which is designed to avoid armed confrontations in the South China Sea.
“China and Indonesia will work with other ASEAN countries to … accelerate consultations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly maintain the peace and stability in the South China Sea fully and effectively.” Gang said in an online press conference.
The highly secretive talks between China and the 10-nation ASEAN, whose four members are locked in territorial conflicts with Beijing over the strategic waterway, have faced years of delay, including during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
China and the regional bloc have agreed to speed up the negotiations this year but it's unclear how they can overcome key differences, including which areas should be covered by the pact and whether the agreement should be legally binding.