Southeast Asia (Page 28)

MA ILA – The hilippin s’ d fen e di lo acy is exp cted o be ac ive i Au August.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stopped by Manila over the weekend to discuss closer defense cooperation and draw attention to shared worries about regional security in a historic first.

The two newly established supporters celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations at a conference with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., which vitally highlighted their growing integration in Indo-Pacific corporate objectives.

In response to the most recent events in the South China Sea, the two protection chiefs stated in a joint declaration that they” strongly opposed any punitive attempt to enhance wide claims, mainly through pressure or coercion.”

More than 50 percent of the time, Chinese and Asian maritime forces clashed, leading to the injuries of various Philippine service members and the damage of numerous Philippine vessels.

The US announced a new$ 500 million military aid package to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP), which coincided with a historic two-plus-two meeting between Philippine and American diplomatic and security officials in Manila.

Flush with cash and growing support from both the Philippine government and key allies, Teodoro told his latest high-profile guest that the AFP was “looking to engage Germany as a possible supplier” of advanced weapons systems, especially in the area of” command and control, anti-access aerial denial, maritime domain, ]and ] aerial domain and in higher technologically capable equipment”.

Over the next ten years, the Philippines plans to modernize its naval, air, and cyber capabilities with up to$ 35 billion. The US aid package alone could reach up to$ 3 billion over the next five years, the Philippine Ambassador to Washington DC, Jose” Babe” Romualdez, told this writer.

” Our AFP will be able to modernize much faster than originally planned…we can]fast-track ] our 10-year modernization program by]several ] years”, Romualdez said in a recent interview.

” ]But ] we are not just dependent on the US…]since ] we are using our own resources, and other like-minded countries are also prepared to help …”, he added, emphasizing Manila’s own “multi-alignment” strategy. &nbsp,

Japan and the Philippines conducted their first mutual training in the South China Sea just before the German defence leader’s visit. A historic Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA ) pact between Manila and Tokyo was signed by the two US allies last month. It seeks to regularize and expand military cooperation and defense agreements.

In addition, this week, the Philippines will begin its first shared coast guard exercises with Vietnam, which highlights Manila’s efforts to reach out to other countries in Southeast Asia. According to what available information, the Marcos Jr. administration is determined to strengthen its proper stance in the face of a China that is extremely assertive.

South China Sea impasse

Conflicts in the South China Sea have eased in recent months, owing to an “interim deal” between Manila and Beijing.

Following numerous clashes between Chinese and Spanish forces over disputed territory features in the South China Sea, the most notable being over the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines house a de facto military center aboard the stalled BRP Sierra Madre vehicle.

China, which claims the reef as part of its so-called “nine-dash line,” has tightened the rope around the Spanish base over the past year and has strongly opposed any Manila efforts to increase its appearance.

Since the Second Thomas Shoal is a low-tide ascent, devoid of water and adequate resources, it cannot help sustained residence without regular supplies.

China is concerned that the Philippines has been fortifying its military installations with building materials despite the claim that the Philippines ‘ recharge missions to the reef are merely for humanitarian purposes.

According to reports, the Asian Navy has been able to maintain the facility’s collapse for at least another ten years with the proper shipment of supplies.

However, major Asian experts, including past Asian Navy Rear Admiral Rommel Ong, have stated to this writer that the BRP Sierra Madre needs to improve its contacts, electronics, and overall defense systems.

With the growing ferocity, China has increased its efforts to intimidate and yet intercept Spanish resupply missions there.

The outcome was a risky conflict in mid-June when Foreign Coast Guard forces violently boarded and disarmed Spanish naval officers on their way to the Second Thomas Shoal.

Chinese troops seized seven M4 firearms and other materials, and ended up wounding some Filipino troops, one of whom lost his finger in the ensuing battle.

Eager to de-escalate conflicts, the Philippine state refused to call in British support under the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty and, preferably, negotiated a temporary alliance with Beijing.

Philippine-style multi-alignment&nbsp,

Following the successful dialogue of a transitional contract, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila stated that” Both sides continue to acknowledge the need to deescalate the situation in the South China Sea and resolve differences through speech and conversation.” &nbsp,

For its part, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two parties had agreed to “effectively manage the situation at Second Thomas Shoal” and had reached a provisional agreement with the Philippines regarding the provision of living requirements.

But neither side released the language of the contract. Beijing and Manila should have admitted that their views of the agreement were fundamentally different in the first place.

Major Filipino officials have insisted on the non-negotiability of Philippine sovereign right and claim they only consented to “exchange of information” on the ground, despite China’s claim that the Philippines has formally requested permission before conducting any supplies missions.

” This is a very serious situation we are facing”, Ambassador Romualdez told the author. ” We ca n’t just sit down and allow another country to do whatever they want and claim another country’s territory”, he continued.

While the Marcos Jr government’s diplomatic ally with the US has moved into “hyperdrive” method, the Philippines is convinced that it’s not coordinating with America against China.

The East Asian nation’s actions are essentially defensive, and its international policy aims to expand its network of collaborations beyond Washington, including those to Japan and Southeast Asia.

The European defence minister emphasized his assistance for the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling under the supervision of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, which rejected the majority of China’s wide says in adjacent waters during his visit to Manila.

” This ruling remains valid without any exceptions. We are upholding the maritime order’s obligations, according to Pistorius. We must do more than defend UNCLOS, he says. We need to contribute to de-escalation. This is only possible if all communication channels, including those with China, are kept open.

Following the signing of a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA ) last month, the Philippines is already cashing in on its blossoming ties with Japan while negotiating significant defense pacts with Germany.

Following the historic Philippine-Japan joint drills in the South China Sea, the AFP reported that” this activity was part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation toward achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Manila and Tokyo are expected to engage in ever-increasing and regular military exercises as they negotiate the transfer of sophisticated weapons systems over the coming months and years.

To maintain balance its foreign relations, however, the Philippines is also cultivating a quasi-alliance with like-minded Southeast Asian nations, most notably Vietnam, which also has its own share of concerns over China’s maritime assertiveness.

The two parties are aiming to develop tighter defense cooperation following a landmark joint coast guard drill this week. To address their overlapping claims in the South China Sea, the two ASEAN members aim to forge maritime border delimitation agreements.

” This]drill ] is important because we’re building a partnership, and we are showing the world that it is possible for two countries that have a problem in the West Philippine Sea to still cooperate”, Philippine Rear-Admiral Balilo told reporters.

He continued,” We can provide a model for how other claimants may develop into a stronger relationship,” underscoring Manila’s commitment to maritime co-operation with neighbors and a range of like-minded powers.

Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on X @Richeydarian

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