© depositphotos/daboost The Philippines aims to reinforce its security collaboration with the United States and European allies.
A high-ranking Philippine defense official has urged the strengthening of military connections with the U.S. to address common menaces amidst worsening relationships with Beijing.
“Presently, we must cooperate, adopting a more careful approach, considering the threats confronting both nations,” stated Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to journalists in Kuala Lumpur following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Both officials are in Malaysia, participating in a regional security forum arranged by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Earlier that day, Hegseth declared the establishment of a novel task force with the Philippines, intended to bolster their alliance, Bloomberg reports.
Philippine and Chinese ships frequently confront one another near a contested atoll in the South China Sea, where tensions persist due to a protracted maritime disagreement between the two countries. Some occurrences have escalated into violence, with Chinese coast guard vessels deploying water cannons and colliding with smaller Philippine watercraft.
Hegseth communicated prior to the conference that both nations “share apprehensions regarding China’s forceful strategies in the South China Sea, notably recently near Scarborough Shoal.”
Manila and Beijing have been in dispute over the reef for a considerable time, situated approximately 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine province of Zambales. China assumed control in 2012 following a confrontation, although the Philippines maintains that the reef is within its exclusive economic zone.
Strains increased anew in September after Beijing sanctioned a scheme to establish a national nature preserve there, eliciting disapproval from the United States, which maintains a mutual defense pact with the Philippines. The Philippines, Japan, and the U.S. have conducted joint exercises in the contested waters and cautioned China against provocative acts.
Teodoro also mentioned his aspiration to finalize negotiations on a status of forces agreement with France in the coming year and is optimistic that discussions with the United Kingdom will be able to commence shortly.
The Philippines is boosting security partnerships with countries besides its primary ally, the United States, to challenge Beijing’s extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea, having already finalized military accords with nations like Japan and New Zealand.
“China needs to demonstrate its willingness to adhere to international legislation and established regulations without ambiguous interpretations,” Teodoro emphasized.
China had previously accused the Philippines of “playing a dangerous game” after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. indicated his country could be drawn into any prospective conflict between Beijing and the U.S. over Taiwan. China was responding to Marcos’ comments during a visit to India that the Philippines’ geographical closeness to Taiwan and the substantial Filipino population on the island would compel Manila to get involved.
