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Canada and the Philippines, both of whom are staunch critics of China’s increasingly coercive actions in the disputed south China See was due to sign a major defense pact on Sunday that will allow their militaries to conduct joint combat-readiness exercises and expand a network of security alliances to deter aggression, Philippine officials said.
Canada and other Western countries are increasing their military presence in the Indo-Pacific to help promote the rule of law and expand trade and investment in the region. The move coincides with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s efforts to build defense ties with other countries to help his country’s underfunded military confront militarily superior China in the disputed waters.
There was no immediate comment from China, which has accused the Philippines of being a “troublemaker” and “destroying regional stability” for conducting joint patrols and war exercises with the United States and other countries in the South China Sea. Beijing It claims the waterway, a major trade route, virtually in its entirety, despite a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated those claims based on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
China has rejected this decision and continues to disregard it. It has used powerful water cannons and dangerous interception maneuvers against Philippine Coast Guard and fishing vessels in the disputed waters. Resulting in minor skirmishes and injuries to Filipino personnel. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also been involved in long-running territorial disputes.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. will sign the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with his Canadian counterpart David McGuinty after a meeting. manila The Department of National Defense said in Manila on Sunday. The agreement takes effect after ratification.
Such agreements provide a legal framework for temporary visits of foreign troops with their weapons and large-scale combat exercises to any territory of the signatory countries.
The Philippines signed the first such defense agreement with its long-term treaty ally, the United States, in 1998, followed nine years later by a similar agreement with Australia. The agreement with Canada will be the third signed under Marcos, following similar agreements with Japan and New Zealand.
Talks are also going on with France and Singapore for a similar agreement. Teodoro and other officials said efforts were underway to open similar talks with the United Kingdom and possibly Germany and India.
Teodoro reiterated criticism of China’s actions in the South China Sea at the annual meeting of defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with Asian and Western counterparts in Malaysia on Saturday. He condemned China’s recent announcement that it would establish “nature reserves”. scarborough shoalA rich fishing area claimed by Manila and Beijing.
“For us, this is a veiled attempt to use military force and the threat of force, which is undermining the rights of small countries and their citizens who depend on the abundance of these waters,” Teodoro said.
Canada criticized China’s plan when it was announced in September, saying it opposed “attempts to use environmental protection as a way to take control” over Scarborough. In September, Canada expressed concern and criticized “China’s dangerous use of water cannons” when Chinese vessels tried to force Philippine vessels off shore, resulting in the injury of a civilian Filipino fisheries officer during the Scarborough confrontation.
Canadian Ambassador to Manila David Hartman said his country “has been vocal in confronting the People’s Republic of China’s provocative and unlawful actions in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea” and “will continue to do so.”
Last year, Canada signed an agreement on defense cooperation with the Philippines. Another agreement signed in Ottawa in 2023 gave the Philippines access to data from Canada’s “Dark Vessel Detection System”, which uses satellite technology to track illegal vessels even if they turn off their location-transmitting devices.
The Philippine Coast Guard has used high-tech Canadian technology to track Chinese coast guard vessels and fishing vessels in the South China Sea.