Philippines, Canada ink defence pact to counter China

The Philippines and Canada have signed a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), marking a big step in strengthening defence cooperation and countering China’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.

The accord, finalised on Sunday, permits Canadian troops to take part in joint land-based exercises with the Philippine military, expanding on Canada’s existing participation in multinational maritime patrols in the region alongside the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.

Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty described the agreement as a milestone in advancing Ottawa’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which emphasises a sustained presence in the region. “We will be moving forward on training, military exchanges, information sharing, and cybersecurity cooperation,” McGuinty said during a joint press conference in Manila.

He also expressed Canada’s intention to join the Philippines’ annual Balikatan military exercises next spring.

The Philippines, a long-standing US treaty ally, has signed similar defence cooperation agreements with New Zealand earlier this year, and already maintains VFAs with the United States, Australia, and Japan. A parallel agreement with France is currently under negotiation.

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The deal comes amid heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing, with Chinese vessels frequently confronting Philippine forces in the South China Sea—a waterway Beijing claims almost entirely, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that invalidated its expansive claims.