India and the Philippines have staged joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, a high-profile military deployment that antagonized China.
Beijing has separate territorial disputes with the two Asian democracies and a long-running regional rivalry with New Delhi.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner yesterday said that the two-day joint naval sail and exercises which began on Sunday went successfully, and expressed hopes that Filipino forces could engage India’s military in more joint maneuvers.
Photo: AFP
Asked if Chinese forces carried out any action in response, Brawner said without elaborating that “we did not experience any untoward incident, but we were still shadowed. We expected that already.”
Two Chinese navy ships, including a guided-missile destroyer, were spotted about 25 nautical miles (46km) from one of two Philippine navy frigates that participated in the joint sail on Sunday, the Philippine military said.
The Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said it conducted routine patrols in the South China Sea on Sunday and yesterday, adding that it remains resolute in defending China’s territory, and maritime rights and interests.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that territorial disputes should be resolved by those directly involved without any third-party intervention.
China has a longstanding land border dispute with India in the Himalayas, which sparked a month-long war in 1962 and a number of deadly firefights since.
Separately, Beijing’s expansive claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, a key global trade route, have led to tense confrontations with other claimants, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also lay claim to parts of the contested waters.
The Philippines has staged naval patrols in the disputed waters with its treaty ally, the US, and other strategic partners, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and France, to promote freedom of navigation and overflight, and strengthen deterrence against China.
It has allowed journalists to join territorial sea and aerial patrols to witness China’s aggressive actions, provoking angry Chinese reactions.
In response to a question last week about Manila’s plans to build up military cooperation, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense called the Philippines a “troublemaker” that has aligned itself with foreign forces to stir up trouble in what China deems its own territorial waters.
Brawner said the Philippines has to boost deterrence to prevent war.
“The way to do that is, No. 1, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has to be strengthened through modernization, and secondly, we need to partner with like-minded nations and that’s what we’re doing with India,” he said last week.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday left for a five-day state visit to India for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials to boost defense, trade and investment, agriculture, tourism and pharmaceutical industry engagements.
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