MANILA (The Thursday Times) — Australia and the Philippines signed an updated defence cooperation arrangement in Manila on Sunday, aiming to speed up military cooperation and strengthen deterrence in the contested South China Sea.
The Defence Cooperation Arrangement was signed on the sidelines of a leaders’ meeting attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Australia’s ambassador to the Philippines, Marc Innes-Brown, held up the signed documents. The arrangement updates a decades-old memorandum between the two countries.
Faster coordination
Teodoro said the pact makes coordination faster and streamlines the process, and that it would support the Philippines’ deterrent posture in areas under its jurisdiction. He added that it would help Philippine forces become familiar with Australian equipment and weapons, which should simplify joint training.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a later statement that the arrangement would deepen practical cooperation between the two defence forces. The statement lists enhanced maritime activities, information-sharing, and defence infrastructure development as its key elements.
Building on existing ties
The two countries have had a visiting forces agreement since 2012, which lets their troops train on each other’s territory, and they have expanded joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea and land-based exercises. When the two defence ministers signed a statement of intent in August 2025, Marles said they aimed to conclude the arrangement within a year, and Teodoro said it would formalise existing cooperation without creating legally binding mutual defence obligations.
Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling that found its position has no legal basis. Last month, at a meeting of ASEAN defence chiefs in the Philippines, Marles said China’s military build-up was creating a “condition of pressure” in Southeast Asia and urged allies and partners to deepen cooperation.
Sunday’s signing came as Manila hosts the 49th ASEAN summit, where Canada also concluded trade deals with the Philippines and the bloc.
