The Philippines and Australia have initiated inaugural joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea. This move comes shortly after Manila engaged in similar collaborations with the United States. The three-day exercises, as announced by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on social media, reflect the ongoing concerns of Pacific nations regarding China's increasing assertiveness.

The joint patrols, a result of discussions between the Philippines and Australia earlier this year, aim to emphasize their commitment to a rules-based order in the region. The collaboration underscores a shared strategic interest in maintaining stability amid growing geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea.

China asserts control over nearly the entire South China Sea, a crucial passage for over $3 trillion in annual ship-borne trade. This includes areas also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China's claims in the region lacked legal justification.

The Philippines is intensifying its efforts to counter what it characterizes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea. This region has become a focal point for tensions between China and the United States, particularly concerning naval operations.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in a joint statement posted by Marcos, "Australia and the Philippines are firmly committed to the peaceful, secure and prosperous region, where sovereignty and agreed rules and norms are respected."

"The first joint patrol between the Australian Defence Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines demonstrates this commitment," Marles said.

According to Arsenio Andolong, spokesperson for the Philippine Department of National Defense, the patrols are scheduled to take place in the West Philippine Sea. Manila employs this terminology to refer to the waters in the South China Sea that lie within its exclusive economic zone. The Philippine military has announced the involvement of two navy vessels and five surveillance aircraft from its side, while Australia will contribute the frigate Toowoomba and P8-A maritime surveillance aircraft to the joint patrols.

"This inaugural Maritime Cooperative Activity and those that may follow are a practical manifestation of the growing and deepening strategic and defense partnership between our countries," Marcos said on X, the platform formerly called Twitter.

The Philippines and the United States wrapped up a three-day collaboration in sea and air patrols, initiating in waters near Taiwan, a democratically governed island contested by China, and concluding in the West Philippine Sea.

China has alleged that the Philippines is engaging "foreign forces" for South China Sea patrols, accusing Manila of provocation. In response, Manila maintains that its maritime activities fall within its rightful jurisdiction.

Image source: Reuters