Philippines wants to add India and South Korea to Squad

The Philippines and its allies are trying to expand the Squad grouping of countries to include India and South Korea to counter China in the region, the Philippines' Armed Forces chief General Romeo S Brawner says.

The Squad is an informal multilateral grouping made up of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States, whose defence forces have conducted joint maritime activities in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea since last year.

Brawner's remarks at the Raisina Dialogue security forum in New Delhi come at a time when the Philippines and China have had a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

China claims almost all of the strategic waterway - through which $US3 trillion ($A4.7 trillion) in commerce moves annually - disregarding sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China's expansive claim but officials in Beijing do not recognise the decision.

Brawner said his country was making efforts to enhance its deterrence capabilities, including by working with partners in the Squad, which he said was an informal collaboration between the four countries on military aspects, intelligence sharing and joint exercises and operations.

"Together with Japan and our partners we are trying to expand the squad to include India and probably South Korea," Brawner said during a panel discussion that included his counterpart from Japan, the chief of the Indian navy, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command and Australia's chief of Joint Operations.

"We find commonality with India because we have a common enemy. And I'm not afraid to say that China is our common enemy. So, it's important that we collaborate together, maybe exchange intelligence," Brawner later told reporters, adding that his country already had a partnership with the Indian military and defence industry.

He said that he will "open up" the potential for India's Squad membership later in the day in a meeting with India's Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

A senior Indian defence officer said the meeting had happened but it was not immediately clear if the matter was discussed.

At a press conference on March 7, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Philippines' actions in the South China Sea were not independent but part of a "screenplay written by external forces" to smear China.