Philippines, Vietnam agree to boost cooperation between coast guards

THE PHILIPPINES and Vietnam on Tuesday agreed to boost cooperation between their coast guards and prevent untoward incidents in the South China Sea.

The two Southeast Asian countries, which have competing claims over some parts of the South China Sea, announced the deal during Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s state visit to Hanoi.

The disputed water, a conduit for $3 trillion (P169 trillion) of annual shipborne trade, is claimed by China almost in its entirety.

The two memoranda of understanding on security covered “incident prevention in the South China Sea” and “maritime cooperation” between their coast guards, according to a Vietnamese official who announced the deals during a formal ceremony at the country’s presidential palace.

The agreements in Hanoi, details of which were not disclosed, could risk angering China, especially if these paved the way for future compromises on disputed claims. China tends to view progress in the resolution of border disputes among other claimants with skepticism.

Both Hanoi and Manila have had runins with China’s coast guard in the past, but altercations have been frequent in the past year between vessels of China and US ally the Philippines, adding strain to deteriorating relations.

Before meeting Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong, Mr. Marcos said Vietnam was “the sole strategic partner of the Philippines” in Southeast Asia and stressed that maritime cooperation is the foundation of that relation.

“The world and regional situation are evolving in a rapid and complicated manner and therefore, we need to unite and cooperate more closely,” Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said, adding that Mr. Marcos’ visit had helped boost bilateral relations.

The coast guards of both countries would form a committee to “discuss common issues and interests,” the Philippine presidential palace said in a statement.

Mr. Marcos said the two countries also signed a deal on “incident prevention and management” in the South China Sea. “I hope that through dialogue, we can maintain a peaceful, friendly and harmonious environment in the South China Sea.”

“It is imperative to the Philippines and the world that the sailings and the air traffic over the South China Sea remain free for the large amount of trade that goes through those areas,” he added.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia — which are all ASEAN members — as well as Taiwan and China hold different but in some cases overlapping claims over some features in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

‘NATURAL PARTNER’

Vietnam, one of the world’s biggest rice exporters, also sealed agreements with the Philippines, a top importer of the grain, covering rice trade and agriculture cooperation.

In his two- day visit to Hanoi, Mr. Marcos is meeting Vietnamese leaders, but not Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, according to official schedules, in what would be Mr. Trong’s third consecutive absence from meetings with visiting leaders this month.

Mr. Trong, 79, attended a Parliament session in mid-January, partly dispelling concerns about his health after he was not included in official schedules of visiting leaders from Laos and Indonesia.

Before meeting Vietnamese political leaders on Tuesday, Mr. Marcos met Pham Nhat Vuong, the head of Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest conglomerate, on Monday.

Vietnam was said to be the “last man standing” in the South China Sea conundrum when the Philippines pivoted to China during the rule of Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“Vietnam is a natural partner of the Philippines due to common concerns against China,” Joshua Bernard B. Espeña, who teaches international relations at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He said the two have been vocal about how “things should be dealt with in the South China Sea — pragmatism over inaction.”

“We must all appreciate small informal steps that may optimize the operational designs of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) claimant states’ capabilities,” he said. “Absent a military alliance, this is as close as to some ASEAN member state coordinating altogether.”

In his meeting with Mr. Pham, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines considers both the United States and China as key actors in the region.

“The US is the Philippines’ only treaty ally,” he said. “As such, we continue to pursue military cooperation with the US to strengthen our defensive capabilities and our ability to respond to humanitarian crises and disasters.”

He expressed concerns over tensions between China and Taiwan, which China also claims as its own.

Any conflict in Taiwan would affect the northern territories of the Philippine archipelago “and may compromise the safety and well- being of 170,000 Filipinos”

“I understand that Vietnam has a sizable population in Taiwan as well.”

The Philippine leader last year gave the US access to four more military bases on top of the five existing sites under their 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), angering China, which said the move threatened regional peace.

Three of the new EDCA sites are in parts of northern Luzon facing Taiwan while one is on the island of Palawan facing the South China Sea.

“While Hanoi is not a US ally, it welcomes Washington’s regional presence as a stabilizer,” Mr. Espeña said. “Especially regarding the expansion of EDCA and other activities related to the alliance, Hanoi’s elites silently welcome Manila’s moves.”

“I think this is because ASEAN member states are becoming more slowly aware of collective deterrence — reinforcing your partner’s capabilities through informal coordination since another’s downfall can affect one’s security.” — with