On Friday, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired a virtual meeting with his Filipino counterpart Teodoro Locsin for the 4th India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation. The two sides discussed a wide range of issues including cooperation in agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism, energy, ICT, science and technology, and education.
More importantly, as a result of the meeting, India will be providing the Philippines with assistance to improve its “maritime domain awareness” through “coastal surveillance radar systems.” The statement published by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, “The co-chairs agreed to further strengthen defence engagement and maritime cooperation between the two countries, especially in military training and education, capacity building, regular good-will visits, and procurement of defence equipment. They agreed to enhance cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism and information exchange between concerned agencies and support in terms of specialised training needs.” Further, they also reaffirmed their commitment “to a multifaceted partnership in line with India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN’s Outlook on Indo-Pacific to achieve shared security, prosperity and growth for all in the region.”
This comes as both India and the Philippines continue to be threatened by Chinese aggression in Ladakh, the Indo-Pacific region and the South China Sea. Consequently, earlier in October, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte approved a proposal for the resumption of oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, paving the way for three projects to restart, including a possible joint exploratory venture with China. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said on Thursday that the service contractors concerned were alerted to resume energy-related activity in the area, which has been suspended since 2014, when Manila took Beijing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague over competing territorial claims in the contested waters.
Though Duterte initially refrained from pressing China on its assertiveness in the region, arguing that his country could not afford to challenge Beijing militarily, his administration has taken a much stronger stance against Chinese actions in the waters recently, claiming that they breached international law.
Shortly after, the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin also said that the country is preparing to counter Chinese aggression in the South China Sea using Beijing’s own strategy—by building up its fleet, which includes fishing boats, and by swarming the disputed waters. Mr. Locsin said that the chances of an accident in such a scenario dramatically increase, and if one of the country’s military vessels gets hit in the process, it would trigger the Philippines’ defence treaty with the United States (US). The Philippines’ military has also previously emphasised the importance of the country’s defence ties with the US to secure its national interests and ensure a balance of power in Asia.
India, Philippines Convene for 4th Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation
The two sides discussed a wide range of issues including cooperation in defence engagement, maritime cooperation, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism, energy, science and technology, and education.
November 9, 2020
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte during the 2018 Defence Expo. SOURCE: ECONOMIC TIMES