Philippines and New Zealand in talks for defence pact

File photo of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr welcoming s New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Malacanang on April 18, 2024. - YUMMIE DINGDING/ PPA POOL Read more: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/262712/visiting-forces-agreement-talks-underway-between-ph-new-zealand#ixzz8ymo0fw9o Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

MANILA: The Philippines and New Zealand have begun negotiating an agreement that would allow them to deploy troops on each other's soil, the two countries said Wednesday (Jan 29), as concerns over maritime tensions with China grow.

Manila has been seeking to boost defence ties in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond in the face of China's growing confidence in asserting its claims over the hotspot South China Sea.