Australia and Philippines sign updated defence pact amid South China Sea row

Signing in Manila

Australia and the Philippines signed an updated defence agreement on Sunday, 15 November, in Manila. Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippine Defence Minister, and Marc Innes-Brown, Australia's ambassador to the Philippines, put their signatures to the document. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the ceremony, which took place on an Australian naval vessel docked in Manila. The signing was held on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which opened that day. Both sides describe the deal as a step toward closer military cooperation between the two countries.

What the agreement changes

The deal updates a bilateral memorandum dating from 1995 and aims to tighten military cooperation while speeding up coordination between the two armed forces. According to the Philippine defence ministry, it simplifies the procedures for implementing the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA). Teodoro said the number of steps needed for a single task would fall from 100 to ten, and he described the deal as a measure against bureaucracy. Philippine military personnel will also get better opportunities to familiarise themselves with Australian military equipment and weapons. An agreement in force since 2012 already allows exercises on each other's territory, and the new document is meant to simplify organising them.

Previous procedure100

New agreement10

Previous procedure

100 steps

New agreement

10 steps

Data from the article text

Cooperation and Australian investment

Teodoro argued the agreement will bring sea, air and land forces closer together and extend cooperation to humanitarian assistance and disaster response. He added that it strengthens the Philippines' deterrence potential, including in the South China Sea. Albanese said the agreement would improve information sharing, promote strategic dialogue and encourage joint exercises. In a joint communique, Albanese also said the deal would deepen concrete cooperation between the two countries' defence forces and create new opportunities for regional security. Australia also announced extra investment in drones, equipment and training to detect maritime and cyber threats.

The South China Sea dispute

The agreement is set against a backdrop of recurring incidents involving China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire sea, while the Philippines and several other Asian states claim parts of it, and more than 60 percent of global cargo passes through the waterway. Beijing regularly objects to joint military activity between Manila and its allies, arguing that such exercises raise tensions in the region. Australia backs Manila's position and aligns itself with a 2016 ruling by an international arbitration tribunal, which found that China's sweeping claims have no basis in international law. Beijing rejects that decision and insists its conduct in the sea is lawful.

Alliance with the United States

The Philippines is widening its security partnerships while keeping its traditional alliance with the United States. Manila describes Chinese behaviour in the South China Sea as aggressive, and that assessment is the context for the expansion of these ties. Several states hold overlapping territorial claims in the strategically important sea area. The pact is framed as a boost to military cooperation between two US allies facing a more assertive China in the Asia-Pacific region. The signing is the latest step in that broader effort.