Germany and the Philippines pledge wide-ranging defense pact

The Philippines and Germany pledged on Sunday to conclude a defense cooperation agreement this year to set an example for the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro said they are committed to establishing long-term relations between the two countries’ armed forces to expand training and bilateral exchanges, discuss opportunities to expand bilateral arms cooperation and work on joint projects.

The two ministers met in Manila during the first visit of a German defense minister to the Philippine capital, on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Teodoro said the Philippines, which is seeking to modernize its military to bolster external defense, will look to involve Germany as a potential supplier of these capabilities.

“These capabilities relate to command and control and the prevention of air access, both in the maritime and air fields and high-tech equipment,” he said at a joint press conference with Pistorius.

Manila and Berlin are working to strengthen military ties amid heightened tensions in recent months between China and the Philippines, which have accused each other of skirmishes in disputed areas in the South China Sea, including accusations that China deliberately collided with Philippine navy boats that seriously injured a Filipino sailor.

China says it holds sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas that Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia say are its exclusive economic zones.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said Beijing’s claims had no legal basis, while China rejected the ruling.

“This ruling remains in force, without any exceptions… It’s our duty to strengthen maritime borders and we are committed to that,” Pistorius said.

The South China Sea is a vital trade corridor, through which more than three trillion dollars of maritime trade passes through it.

Teodoro said the Philippines wasn’t provoking China and wasn’t seeking war, but reiterated Manila’s position that the only cause of the conflict in the waterway is China’s illegal unilateral attempt to seize most, if not all, of the South China Sea.

China has expressed concern about the growing ties between NATO members and Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, while Washington and its partners are expanding alliances and partnerships, some of which span the globe.

On Friday, Germany formally joined the command of US-led UN forces in South Korea, becoming part of a group of countries guarding the border with North Korea and pledging to help defend the south in the event of war.

Pistorius said the move was proof of Berlin’s strong belief that European security is closely linked to that of the Indo-Pacific region.

He said in Manila, “Germany’s commitments in the region aren’t directed against anyone… We’re focused on maintaining the rules-based order, ensuring freedom of navigation and protecting trade routes”.