Canada and Philippines are in final negotiations for defence pact to boost joint military exercises

In this handout photo provided by Public Affairs Office Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Navy personnel watch the Canadian vessel HMCS Montreal (FFH336) during the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity being held in the West Philippine Sea, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Private First Class Carmelotes/Public Affairs Office Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP, File)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Canada and the Philippines are in the final stages of negotiating a key defence pact that would allow their forces to hold larger military drills, said the Canadian ambassador to Manila while raising concerns over China’s “provocative and unlawful actions” in the region.

Canada has been reinforcing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and has committed to help promote the rule of law and expand trade and investment.

That dovetails with Philippine efforts under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to broaden defence ties with friendly countries to bolster his country’s external defence as it faces an increasingly assertive China in the disputed waters.

Ambassador David Hartman said Friday night that his country and the Philippines were “in the final stages of the negotiations of our status of forces visiting agreement that will enable us to have even more substantive participation in joint and multilateral training exercises and operations with the Philippines and allies here in the region.”

Hartman spoke before Philippine national security officials, foreign ambassadors and defence attaches aboard the HMCS Ottawa, a Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate on a port visit to Manila. The vessel will take part in a joint exercise off the Philippines next week, he said.

The Philippine military has staged multinational patrols and drills since last year with counterparts from the U.S., Japan, France, Australia and Canada, including in the South China Sea, infuriating China.

China claims virtually the entire sea passage, a key global trade route, and has deployed coast guard and naval fleets and other vessels to guard what it says is its territory. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan also lay claims that clash with China’s and territorial confrontations have flared particularly between Beijing and Manila in the last two years.

In August last year, Canada joined the United States, Australia and the Philippines in air and naval maneuvers to promote the rule of law and unhindered passage in the South China Sea.

In an apparent response, China said it conducted air and sea combat patrols on the same day. Although no confrontations were reported, the Philippine military said three Chinese navy ships tailed the four-nation maneuvers off the western coast of the Philippines.

“We have been vocal in confronting the provocative and unlawful actions of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea,” Hartman said. “We will continue to do so.”

Canada signed an agreement on defence cooperation with the Philippines last year. Another agreement signed in Ottawa in 2023 gave the Philippines access to data from Canada’s “Dark Vessel Detection System,” which harnesses satellite technology to track illegal vessels even if they switch off their location-transmitting devices.

The Philippine coast guard has accused Chinese coast guard ships and fishing vessels of switching off their location-transmitting devices to avoid detection and surveillance in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has visiting forces agreements, which provide a legal framework for temporary visits of foreign troops and large- scale combat exercises, only with the United States and Australia. In July last year, the Philippines signed a similar accord with Japan, which still needs to be ratified by Japanese legislators.

The Philippines is in separate talks over defence pacts with France and New Zealand.

Jim Gomez, The Associated Press