Philippines, Australia to Sign New Defense Pact Amid Rising Tensions with China

TDT | Manama

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The Philippines and Australia are preparing to sign a new agreement to strengthen the Southeast Asian nation’s military infrastructure, the countries’ defense chiefs announced on Friday. The move comes as both nations face increasing pressure from China’s assertive actions in the region.

The announcement was made while the two allies conducted large-scale military exercises in the western and northern Philippines. Around 3,600 personnel took part in the drills, which included live-fire training.

Relations between Manila and Beijing have been strained in recent months, with repeated confrontations in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire waterway, despite a 2016 international ruling rejecting its stance.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, speaking after talks with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro in Manila, said the new pact would likely be signed next year. The agreement aims to improve the Philippines’ defense facilities and enhance coordination during joint exercises.

“This will be a really important step forward in our defense relationship,” Marles said, adding that both countries share concerns about challenges to the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

The Philippines, a long-time ally of the United States, has been working to expand its security partnerships with like-minded nations. This year, Manila signed a visiting forces agreement with New Zealand and is negotiating similar deals with France and Canada. It also carried out its first joint patrols in the South China Sea with India earlier this month.

Teodoro stressed that the new pact is necessary to deter China’s activities in the disputed waters. “What we cannot control are the unilateral activities of China,” he said. “Hence, the need for deterrence and sending a strong message that their actions will not be tolerated by the international community.”

The Philippine military recently reported that at least five Chinese Coast Guard vessels, armed with heavy weapons, conducted water cannon drills near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The area is guarded by Filipino troops stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty World War II-era ship deliberately grounded there in 1999 to assert the Philippines’ claim.