India, Philippines stage joint sail and naval drill within the disputed South China Sea

India and the Philippines staged joint sail and naval workout routines within the disputed South China Sea for the primary time, a high-profile navy deployment that can doubtless antagonise China. Beijing has separate territorial disputes with the 2 Asian democracies and a long-running regional rivalry with New Delhi.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of workers Gen. Romeo Brawner mentioned on Monday (August 4, 2025) the two-day joint naval sail and workout routines which started on Sunday (August 3, 2025) have been profitable to date and expressed hopes that Filipino forces may have interaction India’s navy in additional joint maneuvers sooner or later.

Requested if Chinese language forces carried out any motion in response, Mr. Brawner mentioned with out elaborating that “we didn’t expertise any untoward incident however we had been nonetheless shadowed. We anticipated that already.”

“In previous joint patrols with different overseas navies, Chinese language navy and coast guard ships have saved watch from a distance,” in response to the Philippine navy.

China has a longstanding land border dispute with India within the Himalayas, which sparked a monthlong conflict in 1962 and various lethal firefights after.

Individually, Beijing’s expansive claims to just about your entire South China Sea, a key international commerce route, has led to tense confrontations with different claimant States, notably the Philippines and Vietnam. Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan additionally lay claims to components of the contested waters.

Chinese ship runs aground off Philippines-occupied island in the disputed South China Sea

The Philippines has staged naval patrols within the disputed waters with its treaty ally, the US, and different strategic companions together with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and France to advertise freedom of navigation and overflight and strengthen deterrence towards China.

It has allowed journalists to affix territorial sea and aerial patrols to witness China’s more and more aggressive actions, upsetting indignant Chinese language reactions.

In response to a query final week about Manila’s plans to construct up navy cooperation, China’s Ministry of Nationwide Defence known as the Philippines a “troublemaker” that has aligned itself with overseas forces to fire up bother in what China deems its personal territorial waters. “China by no means wavers in its resolve and can to safeguard nationwide territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and pursuits and can take resolute countermeasures towards any provocations by the Philippine aspect,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Col. Zhang Xiaogang mentioned in a information convention.

Philippines President Marcos Jr. to visit India as two sides deepen maritime cooperation

Mr. Brawner mentioned the Philippines has to spice up deterrence to forestall conflict. “The best way to do this is primary, the Armed Forces of the Philippines must be strengthened via modernisation and secondly, we have to companion with like-minded nations and that’s what we’re doing with India,” he mentioned final week.

Throughout a reception on board an Indian navy tanker, the INS Shakti, on Thursday (July 31, 2025), Mr. Brawner mentioned the vessel’s port name in Manila was greater than ceremonial. It “sends a robust sign of solidarity, power in partnership and the power of cooperation between two vibrant democracies within the Indo-Pacific,” he mentioned.

Mr. Brawner welcomed the deepening of relations between the 2 Asian nations and “reaffirmed the shared dedication to maritime safety, regional stability and a rules-based worldwide order in one of many world’s most geopolitically delicate areas.”

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos left on Monday for a five-day state go to to India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and different high officers to spice up defence, commerce and funding, agriculture, tourism and pharmaceutical business engagements.