India and the Philippines have conducted their first-ever joint naval patrols in the disputed South China Sea, a move that is likely to provoke Beijing, which claims nearly the entire waterway.
The two-day drills began Sunday, just as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. departed for a state visit to New Delhi, where he is expected to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Marcos praised both countries for their “steadfastness in upholding international maritime law,” specifically referencing UNCLOS, the UN convention defining maritime rights, according to dw.com
India sent three naval ships, including the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, while the Philippines deployed two frigates. The patrol began Sunday afternoon and included a replenishment-at-sea exercise, according to Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado of the Philippine military.
Despite the patrol being “shadowed,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner said there were no untoward incidents, adding that the drills had been successful and expressing hope for expanded military cooperation with India.
The South China Sea remains a flashpoint, with overlapping maritime claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. An estimated $3 trillion worth of trade passes through the region annually.
Beijing, which also has a tense border dispute with India in the Himalayas, reacted sharply.
China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang accused Manila of being a “troublemaker” aligned with foreign powers and warned that “resolute countermeasures” would follow any provocations in what China views as its territorial waters.
