Philippines broadens defence ties with Singapore amid China tensions
- Since territorial hostilities between China and the Philippines surged, Manila has taken steps to forge new security alliances
The Philippines and Singapore signed a defence pact on Wednesday that will allow their militaries to broaden their engagement, but few details were given about how the agreement could help address their security concerns in a region rife with conflicts.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr signed the memorandum of understanding with his counterpart in Singapore, Ng Eng Hen, in a ceremony that coincided with the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The agreement, which was not immediately made public, “serves as a framework to guide existing interactions and promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as military education and anti-terrorism,” Singapore’s Defense Ministry said in a brief statement.
It aims to “foster closer people-to-people links” and builds on an existing agreement on education, training aid and support activities for humanitarian help and disaster relief, the ministry added, without elaborating.
A Singaporean and two Philippine officials said the agreement is not a so-called status-of-forces agreement that the Philippines has signed with three countries, including the United States, which allows large-scale joint combat exercises.
