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HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The Philippines and Vietnam signed agreements Tuesday aimed at preventing incidents in the South China Sea and expanding cooperation among their coast guards as a component of a developing alliance that is likely to be frowned upon through China, which claims nearly all waters.
The agreements, as well as discussions on how to improve data and education sharing between the Vietnamese and Philippine militaries, were reached on a stopover in Hanoi through Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The two sides agreed to breathe life into the industry and investment and signed a key agreement on rice.
The Philippines and Vietnam have had especially tense confrontations with China in the strategic waterway and key route for global trade in recent years. Territorial faceoffs in the high seas between Chinese and Philippine ships intensified last year, fueling fears of a wider conflict that could involve Washington, Manila’s longtime treaty ally.
Although Chinese and Philippine officials agreed earlier this month at an assembly in Shanghai to take steps to ease tensions, Marcos, in Hanoi, raised concerns about long-standing disputes and cited the Chinese coast guard’s competing moves.
“There are unilateral and illegal moves that violate our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction and exacerbate tensions in the South China Sea,” Marcos said in a call to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at his presidential workplace in Manila.
The Philippine president cited a water cannon attack by the Chinese coast guard that broke up a Philippine shipment on Dec. 10 near the Second Thomas Shoal and a similar incident in the disputed area, Scarborough Shoal.
“We firmly protect our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction by opposing any provocation,” Marcos said. “But at the same time, we also seek to solve those problems with China through nonviolent discussions and consultations as two equivalent sovereign states. “
Marcos said that in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the United States last November, he pressed him “out of a desire to reduce tensions in the South China Sea, which he agreed to. “”
It is unclear exactly how the Vietnamese prime minister reacted to Marcos’ comments. Chinese officials also did not comment on the matter, nor on agreements signed through neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
Vietnamese and Philippine officials did not release specific details of their agreements on preventing and managing incidents in the South China Sea and intensifying coordination on maritime issues to promote trust and confidence.
“I hope we can seriously implement this agreement as soon as possible,” Marcos said.
The maritime cooperation agreement “aims to identify a comprehensive partnership between our Coast Guard in capacity building, education, and exchanges of personnel and vessels in order to interoperate operations between our two countries,” Array Marcos said.
The Philippine leader said his country is interested in a joint presentation to a United Nations commission on the barriers of coastal states’ continental shelves. “The Philippines is willing to work with Vietnam for a joint presentation at the right time,” Marcos said.
The two countries also signed an agreement on Tuesday under which Vietnam will supply the Philippines with 1. 5 to 2 million tonnes of rice at affordable prices.
Vietnamese rice accounts for 85% of the rice imported into the Philippines and the two countries have agreed to create a framework for a robust supply. Last year, a rice shortage, exacerbated by climate change and the disruption of exports through some primary producers, led to rising costs globally, in addition to the Philippines.
Marcos, who arrived in Hanoi on Monday, also met with Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietnam’s richest man and the chairman of the sprawling conglomerate Vingroup, which runs the electric vehicle company Vinfast.
Vinfast said after the assembly that it would open an electric vehicle advertising network in the Philippines and that investment would begin later this year.
VinFast’s plans to expand to the Philippines are part of its goal to sell electric cars in 50 markets around the world. It exports electric cars to the US and is also building a $4 billion electric vehicle plant in North Carolina, where production is expected to begin. this year. It also announced it would build factories in Indonesia and India.
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Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines.