The Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said on Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos left Manila for New Delhi for a state visit, reports Reuters.
The Philippines has conducted "maritime cooperative activities" with foreign navies since late 2023 as part of its push to counter China's expansive claims in the waterway, including joint passages with treaty allies the United States, as well as Japan, Australia, France and Canada.
An Indian official said the passage was in the West Philippine Sea and part of a bilateral exercise with Manila, where its ships arrived on Friday as part of India's outreach to build partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner said the idea for the two-day joint passage, which started on Sunday and was inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, came about when he met his counterpart in India in March.
Without referring directly to China, Brawner told reporters, "We did not experience any untoward incidents, but there are still those shadowing us - as we had already expected."
China's foreign ministry states that territorial and maritime disputes should be resolved between the countries directly involved, and no third party should intervene.
The INS Delhi, tanker INS Shakti and corvette INS KiltanIndian Navy ships, took part, including guided missile destroyers. On the other hand, the Philippines deployed two frigates, BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal.
On that same day, Macro departed from India after a five-day trip. He said he would emphasise maritime ties and seek cooperation on sectors including defence, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The waterway is a strategic shipping route where $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce takes place.
In 2016, an international tribunal ruled that China's broad claims had no legal basis, a decision China rejected.
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