Canada and Philippines will sign a key defence pact to boost combat drills and military ties

Philippine navy personnel watch the Canadian vessel HMCS Montreal (FFH336) during the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity being held in the West Philippine Sea, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Private First Class Carmelotes/Public Affairs Office Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP, File)

MANILA, Philippines — Canada and the Philippines, both vocal critics of China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, have concluded talks for a key defense pact that would allow their forces to hold joint combat drills and boost defense engagements, the Department of National Defense in Manila said Friday.

Canada and other Western nations have been reinforcing their military presence in the Indo-Pacific to help promote the rule of law and expand trade and investment in the region.

That dovetails with Philippine efforts under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to broaden defense ties with friendly countries to bolster his country’s defense as it faces an increasingly assertive China in the disputed South China Sea.

The agreement with Canada “will establish a framework for increased cooperation, fostering closer collaboration between defense and military establishments, improving interoperability between forces and facilitating more effective joint exercises and capacity-building exercises,” the Philippine defense department said.

It is expected to allow larger joint exercises, including in the South China Sea off the western Philippines.

No date was specified for signing the agreement but a Philippine official said that could happen in the next few months at the earliest.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that the Philippines would continue to build security alliances with other friendly countries to deter China’s aggression.

Teodoro said China’s hostile actions should be regarded as a global threat because they could eventually restrict movement in the South China Sea, a key global trade route crucial for global supply chains.

The Philippines has visiting forces agreements with the United States and Australia that provide a legal framework for temporary visits by foreign troops and large-scale combat exercises.

The Philippines signed a similar accord with Japan in July that’s expected to be ratified by Japanese legislators by mid-year. Negotiations with New Zealand also recently concluded, and officials have been holding talks with France for a similar accord.

Philippine authorities may seek visiting forces agreements with other countries including Germany, India and Singapore, Teodoro said.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has deployed coast guard and navy fleets and suspected militia ships to guard what it says is its territory and airspace. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan also lay claims that clash with China’s, and territorial confrontations have flared between Beijing and Manila in the last two years.

In August, Canada joined the United States, Australia and the Philippines in air and naval maneuvers to promote the rule of law and unhindered passage in the South China Sea.

China said it conducted air and sea combat patrols on the same day. Although no confrontations were reported, the Philippine military said three Chinese navy ships tailed the four-nation maneuvers.

Last month Canadian Ambassador to Manila David Hartman said his country has “been vocal in confronting the provocative and unlawful actions of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea” and ”will continue to do so.”

Canada signed an agreement on defense cooperation with the Philippines last year. Another agreement signed in Ottawa in 2023 gave the Philippines access to data from Canada’s “Dark Vessel Detection System,” which harnesses satellite technology to track illegal vessels even if they switch off their location-transmitting devices.

The Philippine coast guard has used the high-tech Canadian technology to track Chinese coast guard ships and fishing vessels in the South China Sea.

Jim Gomez, The Associated Press