Page 7 - Philippines

China's action against Philippine vessels threatens global security: Sweden

Sweden's defense chief has expressed alarm over Beijing's repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, saying such actions threaten security, undermine stability and underscore the need to invest for our security and freedom. Defense Minister Pl Jonson spoke Thursday night in a diplomatic reception in Manila for Sweden's national day after meeting his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on expanding defense relations. Sweden is one of the possible sources of supersonic fighter jets that the Philippines plans to acquire as its military shifts focus from decades of fighting communist and Muslim insurgencies to territorial defense. Let me express my deep concern on the repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippines vessels that have been taking place in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, Jonson said. He did not mention China in his speech but drew applause from an audience that included top Philippine military and security ...

Philippines to pursue 'robust collaboration' with India on defence front

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said that his government will pursue "more robust collaboration" with "friends" such as India as collaborative endeavours to build pillars that support the architecture of regional stability. Under our Comprehensive Archipelagic Defence Concept, we shall develop our capacity to project our forces into areas where we must by constitutional duty and by legal right protect our interest and preserve our patrimony...And as we build our defence capabilities, so shall we continue to invest in diplomacy, Marcos said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday night. He said the Philippines would "also pursue more robust collaboration with friends such as South Korea, India, amongst others, collaborative endeavours among a few states that share specific interests built into pillars that support the architecture of regional stability. As we work to uphold the rule of law in international affairs, so shall we build our capabilities to protect our ..

Indian Navy ships in Philippines to further strengthen maritime cooperation

Three Indian Navy ships are in the Philippines with an aim to further strengthen maritime cooperation with that country, an official said on Monday. Their visit is part of an "operational deployment" of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea. Indian Navy ships -- INS Delhi, INS Shakti and INS Kiltan -- arrived in Manila on Sunday, a spokesperson of the Navy said. The aim is to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and maritime cooperation, the official said. The ships were accorded a warm welcome by the Philippines Navy. During the visit, personnel from both the navies will engage in wide range of professional interactions, including subject matter expert exchange, sports fixtures, cross-deck visits, cultural visits and collaborative community outreach programmes, the spokesperson said. "The ships will also participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with the Philippines Navy," he said.

In discussion with various parties: Adani Ports on investing in Philippines

Adani Ports issued a clarification on reports stating the company planned to launch a development project in Bataan, Philippines to expand its ports. Here's what they said

US, Oz and Philippine forces sink a ship during war drills in S China Sea

Military force from the United States, Australian and the Philippines launched a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes to sink a ship Wednesday as part of largescale war drills in waters facing the disputed South China Sea that have antagonized Beijing. Military officials and diplomats from several countries, along with journalists, watched the display of firepower from a hilltop along a sandy coast in Laoag City on Wednesday in Ilocos Norte, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s northern home province. More than 16,000 military personnel from the United States and the Philippines, backed by a few hundred Australian troops and military observers from 14 countries were participating in annual combat-readiness drills called Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, which started on April 22 and will end on Friday. It's the latest indication of how the United States and the Philippines have bolstered a defense treaty alliance that started in the ...

US, Philippine forces stage combat drills near channel off southern Taiwan

US Marines and their Filipino counterparts darted out of Black Hawk helicopters during combat drills Monday in the Philippines' northernmost island town along the strategic Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan a flashpoint in the military rivalry between Washington and Beijing. The show of allied battle readiness in Itbayat in Batanes province is part of annual military exercises that started last month, dubbed Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, and involving more than 16,000 American and Philippine military personnel. This year's exercises by the longtime treaty allies the largest yet are meant to deter possible aggression. They come against the backdrop of China's increasingly assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine coast guards and accompanying ships have had several increasingly tense faceoffs since last year. More than 250 French and Australian forces are also participating, along with observers from several allied and security

Adani Ports to invest in Philippines, eyes Bataan for port development

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) is eyeing Bataan to establish a 25-meter-deep port capable of accommodating Panamax vessels

Defence chiefs from US, Oz, Japan, Philippines vow to deepen cooperation

Defence chiefs from the US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines vowed to deepen their cooperation as they gathered on Thursday in Hawaii for their second-ever joint meeting amid concerns about China's operations in the South China Sea. The meeting came after the four countries last month held their first joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, a major shipping route where Beijing has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations and has caused alarm with its recent assertiveness in the waters. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters at a news conference after their discussion that the drills strengthened the ability of the nations to work together, build bonds among their forces and underscore their shared commitment to international law in the waterway. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the defense chiefs talked about increasing the tempo of their defense exercises. Today, the meetings that we have held represent a very

BrahMos missile supplies continue to reach Philippines under $375 mn deal

Supplies of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India to the Philippines under a USD 375 million deal, continue as part of the contract between the two nations, defence officials said.The missile system supplies reached at an air base in Manila from India in a chartered Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft on Sunday, they said.Officials from India and the Philippines are receiving the first batch of equipment supplied to that country as part of the contract, defence officials said.Notably, India delivered the first lot of the supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on April 19, as part of the deal signed in 2022.The Indian Air Force had sent its American-origin C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft with the missiles to the Philippines to deliver the weapon system to the Philippines' Marine Corps, according to defence sources.The export of ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system along with the missiles started last month itself, they said.The Philippines ..

Philippines to hold military exercise with US amid tensions with China

Japan and the U.S. have cooperated in supporting the PCG's capacity building, and the three countries held trilateral Coast Guard exercises for the first time last June

India delivers first batch of BrahMos supersonic missiles to Philippines

India on Friday delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, in reflection of the growing military ties between the two countries amid China's military muscle-flexing in the South China Sea. The supplies came over two years India signed a USD 375 million deal with the Southeast Asian nation to supply the weapon systems. A C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) transported the missile and the launchers to the Philippines for the country's marine forces, official sources said. Under the January 2022 deal, India will supply three batteries of the missiles, their launchers and related equipment. It was the first export of the BrahMos missile by India. A few other countries including Argentina have also shown interest in procuring BrahMos missiles from India. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land .

India delivers BrahMos missiles to Philippines

India has delivered the first set of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of the USD 375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022.

India to deliver first set of BrahMos missiles to Philippines on Friday

The Indian Air Force is sending its American origin C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft with the missiles to Philippines to deliver the weapon system to the Philippines Marine Corps

Amid China's aggression, Biden reiterates support for Philippines, Japan

President Joe Biden said Thursday that U.S. defense commitment was ironclad as he gathered Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on Thursday in the midst of growing concern about provocative Chinese military action in the Indo-Pacific. The United States defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They're ironclad," Biden said as he began three-way talks at the White House with Kishida and Marcos. "As I said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty. The White House summit was called amid growing concern about provocative Chinese action in the Pacific, which will be a large focus of the leaders' talks. The White House sees the summit as countering China's attempts at intimidation and sending a message that China is the outlier in the neighborhood, according to an administration official. President Joe Biden is ..

Biden hosts Philippines prez, Japan PM for first ever trilateral meeting

Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former's case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter's areas of the South China Sea

Biden to meet Philippines, Japan leaders to discuss China in Indo-Pacific

President Joe Biden is bringing together Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on Thursday as the three nations use their first-ever trilateral summit to try to show they are in lockstep about countering China's military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. The leaders are expected to announce that their coast guards will hold a joint patrol in the Indo-Pacific in 2024, a follow-up on law enforcement drills carried out last year by the allies in waters near the disputed South China Sea. The US Coast Guard will also welcome Filipino and Japanese coast guard members onto a US Coast Guard vessel during the patrol for training, according to senior Biden administration officials who requested anonymity to preview the talks. The summit comes a day after Biden held one-on-one talks with Kishida and feted the Japanese premier with a glitzy state dinner at the White House, a diplomatic honour meant to recognise Tokyo's growing ..

US, Japan, Philippines meet to bolster ties amid rising security woes

On Thursday, he will become only the second Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of Congress after his assassinated predecessor Shinzo Abe gave a speech in 2015

Philippines President thanks India for rescuing Filipino crew members

The Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to India for its swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino crew members of a merchant ship attacked by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden this month. The Indian Navy's medical team rescued all the crew members of MV Confidence and provided them critical care after the merchant ship sustained an attack by a Houthi missile strike while sailing the Gulf of Aden on March 6. Three crew members, including two Filipinos, were killed. All the Filipino crew members who survived the attack have been repatriated, the Philippine News Agency reported. Marcos, extending his gratitude to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is visiting the Philippines, said: I express my profound gratitude to the Indian government for their swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino seafarers involved in the MV True Confidence incident. I look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations for the mutual

India supports Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty: EAM

India firmly supports the Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty and wants to explore new areas of cooperation, including in defence and security, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, amid the Southeast Asian nation's maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea. Jaishankar's remarks came as he held a very good discussion with his counterpart Enrique Manalo in Manila. "Warm and productive meeting with @SecManalo of Philippines. Wide-ranging discussion on advancing ties in political, defence, security & maritime cooperation, trade & investment, infrastructure, development cooperation, education, digital, technology, culture and consular domains," Jaishankar posted on X. They also exchanged views on global, regional and multilateral issues including the Indo-Pacific, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), West Asia, Ukraine, Non-Aligned Movement and the UN. "As two democracies committed to a rules-based order, look forward to ...

India supports Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty: EAM

India firmly supports the Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, amid the Southeast Asian nation's maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea. Addressing a news conference here, Jaishankar said he held a very good discussion with his counterpart Enrique Manalo in Manila. "I take this opportunity to firmly reiterate India's support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty," Jaishankar said. As the world changes, it is essential that India and the Philippines cooperate more closely to shape the emerging model, he said. Every country has the right to uphold and enforce its national sovereignty, he said in response to a question. "That is something that we have also discussed," he added. There has been very perceptible growth in bilateral ties between India and the Philippines recently, the minister said.