Manila and Hanoi have agreed to strengthen defence ties to help bolster maritime security in the region and maintain peace in the South China Sea.
The two South-East Asian countries are among the nations in the region – including China – to lay claims to the Spratly island chain, which sits near vital shipping lanes and is reputedly rich in minerals.
After a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam in Manila, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said the partnership has become “increasingly important” as the region navigates uncertainty “marked by geopolitical fragmentation”.
The nations renewed a 2010 defence agreement, establishing that both would maintain “delegation exchanges for security and defence matters”, and step up “information exchange”.
They also agreed to collaborate on law enforcement to prevent transnational crime, including cyber scams, illegal migration, human trafficking and illegal gambling, among other challenges.
To Lam said after the meeting that any individual or organisation using the “territory of one country to commit sabotaging acts against the other” would also be prevented. — AFP
