Recently, India and the Philippines, for the first time, held a high-profile joint naval exercise in the South China Sea, which has provoked China by having Chinese warships tailing Indian and Filipino vessels. The disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have been ongoing, with conflicts also arising between India and China.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces, General Romeo Brawner, announced on Monday (August 4) that the two-day joint naval sailing and exercise that started on Sunday have been successfully completed. He expressed hope for more joint exercises between the Philippine and Indian military forces in the future.
The Eastern Fleet of India docked at the port of Manila on July 30 to participate in friendly activities before engaging in maritime cooperation. The fleet included the missile destroyer INS Mysore (D60), the anti-submarine frigate INS Kiltan (D30), and the replenishment tanker INS Shakti (A57). These three warships will participate in joint patrols, including in disputed waters between China and the Philippines.
When asked if the Chinese military had taken any responsive actions, Brawner did not provide detailed information, only stating, “We have not encountered any unexpected incidents, but we are still being tracked. We anticipated this.”
The Philippine military stated that during the joint patrol on Sunday, one of the two Philippine Navy frigates was approximately 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) away from a Chinese warship, including a Chinese missile destroyer.
The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese military reported conducting routine patrols in the South China Sea on Sunday and Monday. Although not naming India directly, the Southern Theater Command accused the Philippines of rallying external countries to conduct joint patrols.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also asserted that territorial disputes should be resolved by the directly involved parties without any third-party intervention.
The long-standing land border disputes between China and India in the Himalayas led to a month-long war in 1962, followed by several deadly skirmishes between the two sides.
Additionally, Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over much of the South China Sea has incited tensions with other claimant countries, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also assert sovereignty over certain disputed maritime areas.
The Philippines, along with its treaty ally, the United States, as well as strategic partners including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and France, conduct navy patrols in the disputed waters of the South China Sea to promote freedom of navigation and overflight and to strengthen deterrence against China.
Allowing journalists to participate in maritime and aerial patrols, the Philippines has witnessed China’s increasingly aggressive military actions, further escalating tensions.
Brawner emphasized the need for the Philippines to enhance deterrence to prevent the outbreak of war. “To achieve this, the Philippine Armed Forces must be modernized and strengthened; secondly, we need to cooperate with like-minded countries, which is precisely what we are doing with India,” he stated last week.
During a welcome ceremony held aboard the Indian Navy replenishment tanker INS Shakti last Thursday, Brawner stressed that the ship’s docking in Manila was more than a symbolic gesture. It sent a strong signal of unity, mutual assistance, partnership strength, and cooperative vitality between the two vibrant democracies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Brawner welcomed the deepening of the relationship between the two countries, reiterating a shared commitment to maritime security, regional stability, and establishing a rules-based international order in one of the world’s most geopolitically sensitive regions.
While the two countries have conducted several joint exercises in the South China Sea, this marks India’s first maritime cooperation activity with the Philippine military. Unlike previous naval interactions (such as joint sailing, transit exercises, and maritime partnership exercises), this maritime cooperation aims to enhance interoperability among the forces and demonstrate support for the Philippines during conflicts with China.
In recent years, defense cooperation between India and the Philippines has been steadily strengthening. Indian authorities also changed their stance on the 2016 South China Sea arbitration case last year, shifting from acknowledging the outcome to advocating compliance.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos embarked on a five-day state visit to India on Monday to meet with Indian Prime Minister Modi and other senior officials, aiming to enhance bilateral cooperation in defense, trade and investment, agriculture, tourism, and the pharmaceutical industry.