The Philippines is likely to include European countries within its security network, as the country beefs up its opposition to apparent Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, analysts said.
This after a new European Union (EU)-Philippines subcommittee on maritime cooperation was formed recently after a senior French military official visited Manila to bolster greater military cooperation.
Reports said China is claiming nearly the entire South China Sea as its territory, amid reports of ongoing tensions in disputed areas. The US recently carried out “freedom of navigation” exercises in the said areas.
Analysts also pointed out that at the same time, the EU’s special envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, Richard Tibbels, gave his commitment during a visit to Manila that the EU has “a strong interest in making sure that freedom of navigation and overflight continue and that the global trading system is not affected by increasing tensions in the region.”
This led to the EU-Philippines Subcommittee on Maritime Cooperation, established last week “to strengthen cooperation on maritime matters,” according to a report published after the third EU-Philippines Joint Committee meeting last June.