Philippines forges distant partnerships

Canada and the Philippines have announced they are in the final stages of negotiations on a new defense treaty.

Canada and the Philippines have announced they are in the final stages of negotiations on a new defense treaty. This treaty will encompass all existing security, military , and defense cooperation agreements signed between the two countries since 2023. The new treaty represents a new level and quality of bilateral cooperation in this particularly sensitive area. Three key new provisions are the rotational deployment of troops from each side on the other's territory, the organization of bilateral joint exercises, participation in multilateral joint exercises, and joint military operations in the region.

This defense treaty, while not formally or substantively a military alliance between the two countries, creates a level and form of cooperation and partnership between two distant partners and helps overcome the significant geographical distance between Canada and the Philippines.

Since coming to power, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has built a network of bilateral and multilateral military and defense cooperation with many partners outside of Southeast Asia, such as the United States, France, Australia, Japan, and Canada. Marcos considers this a crucial support and foundation for responding to external security challenges and threats, particularly in the South China Sea.

All of Manila's partners in this area pursue fairly similar strategic interests. Everyone wants to build a significant political and security role and influence in the South China Sea. Everyone intends to cooperate with the Philippines to strategically compete with China in the region. Everyone wants to position the Philippines as a gateway and springboard to conquer the Indo-Pacific region. Therefore, distance can easily become close!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/canada-philippines-lien-ket-doi-tac-xa-18525021121461628.htm