PH holds 1st naval drills with Japan; Vietnam next
The Philippines held its first joint military exercises with Japan in the South China Sea on Friday and was scheduled to conduct training maneuvers with the Vietnamese coast guard in the latest collaboration among countries that have pushed back against China’s regional assertiveness.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement that its naval drills with Japan were held in the West Philippine Sea, waters within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, which is claimed almost entirely by China.
These exercises followed similar drills between the Philippines and the United States on Wednesday, also in the West Philippine Sea.
“This activity was part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation towards realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the AFP said in a statement.
It said the drills, which involved two vessels from each side, included a communications exercise, tactical maneuvering and a photographic exercise.
The Philippines and Japan, bitter enemies during World War II, last month signed a landmark military pact allowing deployment of forces on each other’s soil.
The Philippines and Canada are negotiating a similar agreement.
The two countries and the United States signed a trilateral cooperation agreement aimed at promoting regional peace and stability early this year. China criticized the April summit of the leaders of the three nations even before the meeting got underway, saying that the grouping would be “stoking bloc confrontation” in the South China Sea.
Military build-up
Japan, which announced last year its biggest military build-up since the last world war in a step away from post-war pacifism, does not have any claims to the busy waterway.
But it has a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea, where the neighbors have repeatedly faced off.
China’s expansive claims to much of the South China Sea, a strategic conduit for the bulk of northeast Asia’s trade with the rest of the world, have brought it into maritime conflicts with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Vietnam and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on “incident prevention and management” in the South China Sea during President Marcos’ state visit to Hanoi last January.
The MOU on maritime cooperation between the coast guards of the two countries sought “to strengthen understanding, mutual trust and confidence of cooperation … towards the promotion, preservation, and protection of their mutual interests in the Southeast Asian region.”
The agreement allows both countries to better manage maritime conflicts and conduct activities “in accordance with principles of international law, the national laws of each party, and international conventions to which both Vietnam and Philippines are parties.”
Keep status quo
A joint statement following the state visit said the agreement between Mr. Marcos and Vietnam President Vo Van Thoung was meant to strengthen existing maritime cooperation mechanisms, notably the Joint Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs at the deputy minister level.
“Both Presidents emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, maritime security, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea,” the statement said.
The two leaders called for “self-restraint” in actions that would “complicate or escalate disputes and affect regional peace and stability.”
They said both sides should avoid “unilateral acts that can change the status quo and increase tensions, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force” following international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS).
Profound significance
Hanoi’s defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that a 2,400-ton CSB 8002 coast guard vessel left Vietnamese waters that day for the Philippines in a voyage that had a “profound political significance.”
The ship visit would be an opportunity for both coast guard forces to “promote comprehensive cooperation (and) improve law enforcement ability at sea … to contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability, security and safety in the relevant sea area and in the region,” it said.
Hanoi’s embassy in Manila said the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) vessel would be arriving on Aug. 5 and would be staying until Aug. 9. Its crew would also be involved in several “cultural engagements” and sports exchange with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Finalizing plans
According to Vietnam’s state news agency, VietnamPlus, the VCG delegation is led by Col. Hoang Quoc Dat, the deputy chief of the VCG Region 1 Command.
On Aug, 7, the PCG and VCG will unify their plans for joint search and rescue and fire and explosion prevention exercises to be held on Aug. 9. The specific location for the drills was not disclosed.
“This trip underscores Vietnam’s commitment to a foreign defense policy of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development,” VietnamPlus reported.
“It also reaffirms the consistent policy of the Vietnamese Party and State of safeguarding sovereignty, ensuring security, and maintaining order in the nation’s maritime zones in association with economic development promotion,” it said.
Willing to talk
This comes after Filipino and Vietnamese defense officials met in Manila last month to discuss “closer defense cooperation.”
In mid-July, Vietnam filed a claim with the United Nations for an extended continental shelf beyond the current 370 kilometers limit in the South China Sea, the country’s foreign ministry said.
The Philippines made a similar move a month earlier.
Manila said it was open to discuss the overlapping claims with Hanoi as China opposed both countries’ submissions. —WITH REPORTS FROM JACOB LAZARO, REUTERS, AFP AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
