Philippines first, India later, as U.S. prioritizes ‘Squad’ allies

WASHINGTON — An emerging quadrilateral group, between the U.S., Japan, Australia and the Philippines, has become the core of Washington’s foreign security policy in the Indo-Pacific, quickly overtaking the Quad in priority, analysts say.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a series of meetings in Hawaii with his counterparts from the three countries last Thursday to set an “ambitious course” for the Indo-Pacific, a four-way alliance that has reportedly been nicknamed “Squad” by Pentagon officials.