Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States will establish a Combined Coordination Center in the Philippines, the four countries' defence ministers announced in a joint statement on 10 November 2026, following their meeting in Cebu on 28 October.

The commitment was made on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, hosted by the Philippines. The four ministers also agreed to synchronise defence investments to support the Philippines in defending its archipelago, strengthen ministerial and senior policy-level consultations, and expand the scope, complexity and frequency of their combined exercises and cooperative activities.

Already running, site undisclosed

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told reporters in Cebu on Wednesday 11 November that the coordination mechanism behind the planned centre is already operating, even before the four governments name a site. He said the four governments have not agreed on where its facilities will sit, or which locations they are willing to disclose.

The joint statement, released by the Philippine Department of National Defense on Tuesday 10 November, named the centre among the "forward-looking initiatives" discussed when Teodoro met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.

South China Sea concerns

The defence leaders reiterated their serious concerns about the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and reaffirmed their strong opposition to any unilateral actions, including by force or coercion, that escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.

The commitments build on the recently signed Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council Terms of Reference and the successful execution of Exercises Balikatan and Keen Sword, along with regular maritime cooperative activities. No funding amounts, troop numbers or completion dates for the centre were disclosed.