MANILA: The Philippines and Australia on Wednesday (Feb 22) discussed pursuing joint patrols in the South China Sea, days after the Southeast Asian country held similar talks with the United States to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the disputed waterway.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles met with his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez, in Manila, something they said they plan to do yearly in a bid to deepen the countries’ security ties.
“We did talk today about the possibility of exploring joint patrols and we will continue that work and we hope that comes to fruition soon,” Marles said at a joint news conference with Galvez after the meeting.
“As countries which are committed to the global rules-based order, it is natural that we should think about ways in which we can cooperate in this respect.”
With overlapping sovereign claims in the strategic waterway, the Philippines is ramping up its attempts to counter what it describes as China’s “aggressive activities” in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and US tensions around naval operation.
The possibility of the Philippines and Australia holding joint patrols comes on the heels of similar discussions between Manila and Washington about conducting joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea.
Military ties between Australia and the Philippines date back to 1922, and the two nations have an existing Status of Visiting Forces Agreement that provides a comprehensive legal and operational framework for defence cooperation.