The Philippines and Australia are preparing to seal a new defense pact next year aimed at strengthening Manila’s military infrastructure and sharpening joint exercises, their defense chiefs confirmed Friday—directly addressing China’s aggressive actions in the region.
The announcement came as both nations staged major joint military drills involving live-fire training and around 3,600 troops across western and northern Philippines.
The backdrop: Beijing and Manila have clashed repeatedly over the South China Sea, with China insisting on sovereignty over nearly the entire waterway despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating its claim.
“We both acknowledge and are experiencing the pressure that the rules-based order is being placed under here in the Indo-Pacific,” said Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles after meeting Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in Manila.
Marles emphasized that the upcoming pact will boost the Philippines’ defense facilities while tightening coordination in military exercises.
“This will be a really important step forward in terms of our defense relationship,” he stressed.
The Philippines—already a treaty ally of the United States—has been expanding its web of alliances with like-minded partners to push back against Beijing’s growing assertiveness. Manila signed a Visiting Forces Agreement with New Zealand earlier this year, while similar deals with France and Canada are also being finalized.