The Philippines and India signed a raft of security deals Tuesday aimed at strengthening strategic ties between the nations as they navigate tensions with China across the Asia-Pacific.
President Ferdinand Marcos, on a five-day visit to India, was accorded a red carpet welcome and honour guard before he met with prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
The leaders agreed deals including bolstering ties between their respective armed forces — the army, and air force as well as their navies — with Indian warships currently taking part in patrols of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time.
The Philippines has heightened defence cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes with China in the contested waterway.
‘India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny,’ Modi told Marcos in a speech. ‘From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, we are united by shared values.’
Marcos’ visit follows the Philippines’ acquisition of India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system — the first such export by New Delhi — with deliveries beginning in April under a $375 million deal signed in 2022.
Marcos said the two sides engaged in ‘far-reaching, productive and forward looking’ discussions.
‘We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines’ ongoing defence modernisation and the expanding capabilities of India’s indigenous defence industry as a partner in this undertaking, exemplified by our BrahMos project,’ he said.
India is a member of the Quad group, which includes fellow democracies the United States, Japan and Australia.
Beijing has repeatedly alleged that the four-way partnership, first conceived by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, was created as a way of containing China.
Talks also included setting out the terms of reference for the negotiations on a ‘preferential trade agreement’ between Manila and New Delhi.