Germany and the Philippines agree to rapidly finalize a defense pact to address security threats

MANILA, Philippines — Germany and the Philippines agreed Sunday to rapidly finalize a defense pact that would allow joint military training and possible sale of German weapons to address security threats, including China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea, which Manila’s defense chief said was “the sole cause of tensions” and conflicts in the disputed waters.

China has long claimed much of the entire seaway, a key global trade and security route, and vowed to defend its territorial interests at all costs.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the proposed Arrangement on Defense Cooperation that he and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius discussed in talks in the capital, Manila, could be concluded as early as this year given current security concerns. Both underscored the need for countries to press diplomatic efforts under the U.N. Charter to attain “just and lasting peace” from Ukraine to Asia’s flashpoints.

Without mentioning China by name, both defense chiefs expressed in a joint statement their strong opposition to “any unilateral attempt to advance expansive claims, especially through force or coercion.” They also “reaffirmed their staunch commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight and other peaceful uses of the seas consistent with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The Philippines and its longtime treaty ally, the United States, and other Western countries have frequently accused China of undermining those international principles with Beijing’s increasingly hostile actions, including the use of powerful water cannons, military-grade laser and blocking and other dangerous maneuvers against Philippine ships in the disputed South China Sea. Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos’ administration has moved to expand security alliances with friendly Asian and Western governments.

Beijing has accused Washington of instigating trouble and threatening the stability of the region by boosting the deployment of U.S. forces, warships and jets and working with countries like the Philippines to try to contain China’s rise.

The proposed defense deal would allow joint training, possible weapons sale, security information sharing and closer collaboration between the German and Philippine armed forces, the defense chiefs said.

Responding to a question in a news conference with Pistorius, Teodoro said: “There is only one cause of conflict in the South China Sea. … It is China’s illegal and unilateral attempt to appropriate most, if not all, of the South China Sea as their internal waters.”

“That is the sole cause of tensions,” he added.

“The Philippines is not provoking China. We do not seek war, yet we are mandated not only by our constitution but as an obligation to our countrymen to protect whatever areas whether be jurisdiction or rights that rightfully belong to the exclusive benefit of Filipinos,” Teodoro said.

Pistorius underscored Germany’s support for a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea on historic grounds. The decision was based on the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.

“This ruling remains valid without any exemptions,” Pistorius said. “We need to do more than stand up for UNCLOS. We need to contribute to de-escalation. This is only possible if we keep all channels of communication open including those with China.”

After an alarmingly violent June 17 confrontation in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea between Chinese forces, who were armed with knives, axe, and improvised spears, and Filipino navy personnel, China and the Philippines reached a temporary agreement last month to prevent further clashes that could spark a major armed conflict in the hotly disputed atoll.

A week after the deal was forged, Philippine government personnel transported food and other supplies to Manila’s territorial ship outpost at the shoal, which has been closely guarded by the Chinese coast guard and navy ships, and no confrontations were reported.

The longstanding territorial conflicts between the neighboring Asian countries, which also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have continued, however, along with a scathing war of words.

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Associated Press video journalist Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report.