Philippines and Australia Forge Updated Defense Pact to Strengthen Indo-Pacific Deterrence

Australia and the Philippines have signed a new defense agreement aimed at speeding up military cooperation and reinforcing deterrence in contested areas of the South China Sea.

• The updated pact revises a decades-old memorandum and seeks to bolster deterrence in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
• The agreement is intended to help Philippine forces become more familiar with Australian equipment, thereby improving joint training.

MANILA: Australia and the Philippines signed a new defense pact on Sunday, with officials saying it would fast-track cooperation and strengthen deterrence in a region increasingly marked by China’s expanding military presence.

The agreement, which updates a long-standing memorandum, was signed on the sidelines of a leaders’ meeting in Manila, where Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in attendance.

In recent years, Manila and Canberra have steadily increased defense cooperation, including joint maritime patrols in the strategically vital South China Sea and land-based military exercises.

The Philippines, a longtime U.S. ally, has been involved in years of confrontations with China over disputed areas of the South China Sea. Beijing claims nearly the entire crucial waterway despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.

“The agreement makes us faster, speedier. It streamlines the coordination process,” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said after Sunday’s ceremony.

He added, “It will bolster our credible deterrent posture in areas where we have jurisdiction,” referring to contested areas of the South China Sea.

Teodoro said the updated pact would allow Philippine forces to become more familiar with Australian equipment and weaponry, helping streamline joint training processes.

Australia and the Philippines had maintained a visiting forces agreement since 2012, allowing their troops to train on each other’s territory.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a later statement that the pact would “deepen practical cooperation between our defense forces and create new opportunities to work together in support of regional security.” He said the agreement included enhanced maritime activities, information-sharing, and defense infrastructure development.

Marles said at an ASEAN defense chiefs’ summit in the Philippines last month that China’s military buildup was creating a “condition of pressure” in Southeast Asia and urged allies and partners to deepen cooperation.

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