MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Canada and the Philippines, both vocal critics of China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, signed a significant defense agreement on Sunday. This treaty focuses on joint readiness drills and aims to strengthen security alliances in a bid to deter any acts of aggression, according to Philippine officials.
The strengthening of military ties between Canada and the Philippines comes at a time when Canada, along with other Western nations, is enhancing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. These efforts are designed to uphold the rule of law and expand trade and investment opportunities in the area. These strategic moves align with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s initiatives to bolster defense relationships with other countries, particularly to support the Philippines’ underfunded military in facing a more powerful Chinese presence in the contested waters.
China has not immediately reacted to this new agreement but has previously labeled the Philippines a "troublemaker" and a "saboteur of regional stability" due to its joint military efforts with the United States and other nations in the South China Sea.
Beijing asserts its claims over the South China Sea, despite a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated these claims based on a 1982 U.N. convention. China has ignored this ruling and resorted to using powerful water cannons and aggressive blocking tactics against Philippine coast guard and fisheries vessels, leading to collisions and injuries among Filipino personnel. Other nations involved in these ongoing territorial disputes include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. was scheduled to sign the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with his Canadian counterpart, David McGuinty, in Manila. This agreement is expected to bolster a rules-based international order and counteract "attempts to redefine the norms to the selfish advantage of powerful countries," as articulated by Teodoro at the beginning of their meeting.
The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement provides a legal framework for the presence of foreign troops armed with weapons and facilitates large-scale joint combat exercises in both nations. Prior to this agreement, the Philippines had signed its first defense pact with the United States in 1998, followed by a similar agreement with Australia in 2007. The recent pact with Canada represents the third such agreement under Marcos, following those established with Japan and New Zealand.
Ongoing discussions with France and Singapore aim to establish similar defense agreements. Additionally, talks are progressing to potentially negotiate treaties with Britain, as well as with Germany and India, according to Teodoro and other officials.
During a recent annual meeting of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Teodoro condemned China’s declaration to create a "nature reserve" in the Scarborough Shoal, an area rich in marine resources claimed by both Manila and Beijing. Teodoro described the move as a covert attempt to use military power and threats of force, undermining the rights of smaller countries and their citizens who depend on these waters for fishing and other livelihoods.
Canada has criticized China's nature reserve plans, arguing it opposes "attempts to use environmental protection as a means to exert control" over Scarborough. In September, when Chinese ships attempted to forcefully remove Philippine vessels from the area, Canada voiced its concerns, condemning "China's dangerous use of water cannons" that injured a Filipino fisheries officer during the incident.
Furthermore, Canadian Ambassador to Manila, David Hartman, affirmed that Canada has been vocally addressing and confronting China's provocative and illegal actions in the region and will persist in doing so.
Last year, Canada and the Philippines signed a defense cooperation agreement. In a related agreement signed in Ottawa in 2023, the Philippines gained access to data from Canada’s different systems that utilize satellite technology to detect illegal vessels even if they disable their tracking systems. The Philippine coast guard has effectively utilized Canadian technology to monitor Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels operating in the South China Sea.
