Manila and Hanoi to hold first-ever joint exercise between coast guards
THE PHILIPPINES and Vietnam will kick off their first-ever joint coast guard exercise in Manila Bay this week after committing to boost maritime cooperation.
The Aug. 9 drill is the first between the two Southeast Asian nations, which have competing claims over some parts of the South China Sea. Both have had run-ins with China’s coast guard in the disputed waterway.
During a state visit to Hanoi by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in January, Manila and Vietnam signed two agreements to boost cooperation between their coast guards and to prevent untoward incidents in the South China Sea.
Vietnam’s 90-meter ship CSB 8002 arrived at the port of Manila on Monday for a five-day port call.
It will carry out training exercises with the Philippines’ 83-meter offshore patrol vessel, BRP Gabriela Silang, on Friday. The exercises will focus on search and rescue and fire and explosion prevention, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officials said.
“In spite of the rivalry — (the Philippines and Vietnam) are also claimants on the West Philippine Sea — it shows we can work together,” PCG spokesman Armando Balilo said, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
“Hopefully, this will start a template that can be used even with China to de-escalate the situation.”
The Philippines and Vietnam have filed separate claims with the United Nations to an extended continental shelf to recognize their entitlements beyond their 200 nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Portions of the waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes yearly, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.
Also on Monday, the German government said it seeks to conclude a defense cooperation deal with the Philippines by yearend, as the two countries vowed to support a rules-based order within and beyond the Indo-Pacific region.
“We want to sign it by the end of the year,” Mr. Pistorius said a day after meeting with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo C. Teodoro, Jr.
He said supporting the rules-based international order is more urgent now amid threats to the Indo-Pacific region. “We experience every day that the security of one region is always at the same time the security and stability of the other region,” he said.
He said his visit to the Philippines and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region is “key to show China, or maybe others in the future, that we stand together.” “It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Philippines, Europe, India, or whoever it is.”
The stability of Central and Eastern Europe depends on “a very solid front,” Mr. Marcos said, citing the need to uphold international law.
The European Union has had to deal with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022. Meanwhile, European nations have boosted their presence in Asian flashpoints including the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.
The Philippines and Germany on Sunday vowed to boost their defense ties, citing security challenges including attempts to advance expansive claims through force.
The two nations recognize “the wide array of opportunities” to enhance bilateral defense relations amid common security challenges, German Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. said in a joint statement after a meeting in Manila.
They “committed to conclude a broader arrangement on defense cooperation, which will expand the scope of mutually beneficial cooperation between the Philippines and Germany into new areas.”
The proposed defense cooperation deal is expected to cover joint training for their armed forces as well as a possible sale of German weapons.
The participation of Philippine military chief Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. in the meeting between Mr. Pistorius and Mr. Teodoro at the weekend highlights Manila’s ongoing shift to external defense, military spokesman Xerxes A. Trinidad said in a statement.
“General Brawner’s participation in the high-level meeting signifies the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ dedication to advancing external defense capabilities through international relationships,” he said.
“The discussions focused on enhancing defense cooperation, mutual security interests, and strategies to promote peace and stability,” he added.
The meeting was held just as Manila was monitoring a Chinese research vessel roaming around features west of the Philippine island of Palawan.
In their joint statement, the Defense chiefs reaffirmed that a 2016 arbitral ruling that voided China’s claims “final and legally binding.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza with Reuters