Philippines, Australia launch joint air and sea patrols
Australia and the Philippines are holding joint air and sea patrols as they seek to deepen their defence co-operation to counter China’s assertiveness.
Australia and the Philippines announced on Saturday the start of joint air and sea patrols off the Southeast Asian nation, as they seek to deepen their defence co-operation to counter China’s assertiveness in the region.
The “maritime cooperative activity” comes days after the United States held a similar exercise with the Philippines in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
In a joint statement, the Australian and Philippine defence chiefs said the three-day patrols showed their “shared commitment to exercising freedom of navigation and overflight consistent with international law”.
The statement said: “From 25-27 November, our armed forces will conduct the inaugural maritimeco-operative activity in the exclusiveeconomic zone of the Philippines.
“This represents the practical implementation of our strategic partnership.’’
The Philippines is deploying two navy vessels and five surveillance aircraft to join Australia’s HMAS Toowoomba warship and a P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft.
In September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos signed a strategic partnership that enabled the expansion of co-operation in several areas from defence and security to climate change and education.
Mr Marcos said on Saturday the joint patrols were “a practical manifestation of the growing and deepening strategic and defence partnership between our countries”.
“We endeavour to enhance bilateral interoperability in maritime security and domain awareness,” Mr Marcos said on the social media platform X.
The long-anticipated Philippine patrols with the US and Australia follow a spike in tensions between Beijing and Manila over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Beijing’s expansive claims over the waterway approach the coasts of other countries – more than 1000km from the nearest major Chinese land mass.
It has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its claims have no legal basis.
China deploys boats to patrol the sea and has built artificial islands that it has militarised to reinforce its claims.
Mr Marcos warned last Sunday that the Chinese military had “started to show interest” in building bases on reefs that were “closer and closer to the Philippine coastline”.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said today the two nations “are firmly committed to a peaceful, secure and prosperous region, where sovereignty and agreed rules and norms are respected.
“The first joint patrol between the Australian Defence Force and Armed Forces of the Philippines demonstrates this important commitment.”
AFP
More Coverage
Keating takes swipe at AUKUS ministers meeting
Former prime minister Paul Keating has slammed the AUKUS alliance partners for failing to respond to concerns about the future of Australian military sovereignty.
Unis warned on menace of foreign spies
ASIO has told universities to hire security escorts for foreign scientists and academics, and keep gifts out of high-security zones to safeguard research from espionage.