MANILA. The Philippines and Germany have pledged to finalize a defense cooperation agreement within the year, underscoring their commitment to upholding an international rules-based order as tensions escalate in the South China Sea.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, met in Manila to discuss enhancing their nations’ military ties. This meeting marks the first visit by a German defense minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations 70 years ago.
The agreement aims to strengthen long-term relations between their armed forces, expanding training, and bilateral exchanges, and exploring new opportunities for armaments cooperation and joint projects. Pistorius emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “This ruling remains valid, without any exceptions. It is our obligation to strengthen the maritime border and we are living up to it.”
Recent months have seen a sharp increase in confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, with accusations from Manila that Chinese vessels intentionally rammed Philippine navy boats, resulting in serious injuries to a Filipino sailor. China has denied these allegations, asserting its actions were lawful and professional.
The South China Sea, a crucial maritime trade route with over $3 trillion in ship-borne trade passing through annually, is claimed by China as its own, overlapping areas also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated Beijing’s claims, a decision China continues to reject.
Teodoro noted that the Philippines, in its efforts to modernize its military for enhanced external defense, is considering Germany as a potential supplier of advanced capabilities in areas such as command and control, anti-access aerial denial, and maritime and aerial domains.
China has expressed concern over the increasing military collaborations between NATO members and Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. In a related move, Germany recently joined the U.S.-led United Nations Command in South Korea, becoming the 18th member of a coalition responsible for overseeing the heavily fortified border with North Korea and pledging to defend South Korea in case of conflict.
Pistorius reassured that Germany’s actions are aimed at preserving a rules-based order and ensuring freedom of navigation, rather than targeting any specific nation. “Germany’s commitments and engagements in the region are not directed against anybody,” he said. “Instead, we are focusing on maintaining rules-based order, securing freedom of navigation, and protecting trade routes.”
Teodoro reiterated that the Philippines does not seek confrontation with China, but maintains that the primary cause of conflict in the South China Sea is China’s “illegal and unilateral attempt to appropriate most if not all of the South China Sea.”
To de-escalate tensions, Manila recently reached a provisional arrangement with Beijing regarding resupply missions in the disputed waters, though details of the deal remain undisclosed.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
