The Philippines and Germany on Sunday committed to signing a defense cooperation arrangement this year, vowing to uphold international rules-based order in the region as tensions flare over disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro vowed to establish long-term relations between their armed forces to expand training and bilateral exchanges, explore opportunities to expand bilateral armaments cooperation, and engage in joint projects.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas claimed as exclusive economic zones by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said Beijing’s claims had no legal basis. China rejects that decision.
“This ruling remains valid, without any exceptions,” said Pistorius. “It is our obligation to strengthen the maritime border and we are living up to it.”
Teodoro said the Philippines, seeking to modernize its military to boost external defense, will be “looking to engage Germany as a possible supplier of these capabilities”.
“These are in the command and control, anti-access aerial denial, maritime domain, aerial domain and in higher technologically capable equipment,” Teodoro told a press conference with Pistorius.
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