Manila, Philippines: In a significant move to strengthen maritime cooperation, the navies of the Philippines and India have conducted their first-ever joint sail in the South China Sea. The two-day exercise, which began on Sunday, took place inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and coincided with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s departure for a five-day state visit to India.
The Philippines’ military chief, Romeo Brawner, stated that the idea for the joint sail originated from a meeting with his Indian counterpart in March. He confirmed that while the exercise proceeded without “untoward incidents,” the participating ships were being shadowed—an expected occurrence. China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement reiterating that territorial disputes should be resolved directly between the countries involved, with no third-party intervention.
The Indian Navy deployed a guided missile destroyer, the INS Delhi; a tanker, the INS Shakti; and a corvette, the INS Kiltan, for the joint sail. The Philippines, in turn, sent two of its frigates, BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal.
President Marcos’s visit to New Delhi is focused on expanding the Philippines’ partnership with India, particularly in defense, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. The Philippines has been actively increasing its “maritime cooperative activities” with various foreign navies since late 2023, including those of the United States, Japan, Australia, France, and Canada, as part of a strategy to counter China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
China claims nearly the entire waterway, a crucial global shipping route, despite a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that found Beijing’s claims have no basis under international law. China has consistently rejected the ruling.