Australia And The Philippines Have Signed An Updated Defense Agreement

The agreement was signed amid a dispute with China in the South China Sea.

Australia and the Philippines have signed a renewed military cooperation agreement aimed at “strengthening deterrence,” according to "Deutsche Welle".

The document was signed in Manila by Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro and Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Mark Innes-Brown. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the ceremony. The agreement, which updates the 1995 bilateral memorandum of understanding, is intended to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries and streamline coordination processes, the parties stated. “Instead of 100 steps to complete a single task, now only 10 will be required,” emphasized Gilberto Teodoro, calling the agreement “a measure to combat bureaucracy.”

In particular, Philippine military personnel will have the opportunity to become more familiar with Australian military equipment and weapons. Since 2012, an agreement has been in place between Australia and the Philippines allowing for joint military exercises on each other’s territory. The new agreement will simplify the organization of these exercises.

Australia also announced additional investments in unmanned technologies, equipment, and training to detect maritime and cyber threats.

“Deterring” China in the South China Sea

According to the Philippine defense minister, the agreement is also intended to ensure “reliable deterrence capabilities,” particularly in areas of the South China Sea that are the subject of a dispute between China and the Philippines.

Beijing regularly opposes Manila’s joint military exercises with its allies, claiming that such drills heighten tensions in the region. Incidents involving China and the Philippines occur regularly in the South China Sea. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, but the Philippines and several other Asian countries also lay claim to parts of it. More than 60 percent of global cargo traffic passes through this sea.

As noted by Reuters, the Philippines is expanding its security ties while simultaneously strengthening its long-standing alliance with the United States, amid what it describes as China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.

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