The leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines upheld the importance of keeping the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea amid tensions in the strategic waterway where Beijing lays expansive claim.
“As fellow claimant states, we reaffirm that maintaining peace, stability and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea remains non-negotiable,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said. He spoke at a joint briefing with visiting Vietnamese leader To Lam after their meeting in Manila on Monday.
Lam said he discussed the regional and global situation with Marcos and agreed that both nations “need to coordinate more closely to respond more effectively to the changing circumstances of both countries for the sake of peace, stability and development”.
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Hanoi and Manila on Monday elevated their ties to an enhanced strategic partnership and renewed their memorandum of agreement on defence cooperation, which Marcos said would bolster their joint capabilities in maritime security.
There is no doubt that the Philippines and Vietnam share a common interest
The Vietnamese president is wrapping up a Southeast Asia tour aimed at shoring up regional security alliances. Lam, seen as one of Vietnam’s most powerful figures in years, secured the presidency earlier this year after becoming general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2024.
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