Manila ¨C Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila¡¯s military said Monday.
The two-day sail includes three Indian vessels and started Sunday, a day ahead of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos¡¯ scheduled trip to New Delhi for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Philippines has heightened defense cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes in the contested waterway.
Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
India¡¯s naval vessels arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week.
The patrol ¡°started yesterday afternoon, then it¡¯s ongoing up to this moment ... the activity at the moment is replenishment at sea,¡± Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado said.
While in India, Marcos is expected to sign pacts in such fields as law, culture and technology, according to Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq, but all eyes will be on any potential defense agreements.
The Philippines has previously purchased BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India, a weapon which has a top speed of 3,450 kilometers per hour.
India, which has engaged in border clashes with China in the Himalayas, is a member of what is known as the Quad, a group that includes fellow democracies the United States, Japan and Australia.
Beijing has repeatedly alleged that the four-way partnership, first conceived by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was created as a way of containing China.
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