Hanoi and Manila to Hold Joint Coast Guard Exercises to Counter China's Aggression in the South China Sea

ASEAN NETWORK NEWS - A Vietnamese coast guard ship arrived in the Philippine capital, Manila, on Monday for a four-day courtesy call and joint exercises, as the two countries seek to set aside their own territorial disputes amid rising tensions with China over control of key features in the South China Sea.

The Philippines and Vietnam are among the most vocal critics of China's increasingly hostile actions in the contested waters, a vital global trade and security route.

The Southeast Asian neighbors have overlapping claims in the busy sea lane along with Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, and the dispute is considered a flashpoint in Asia and a sensitive fault line in the regional rivalry between the US and China.

As host coast guard personnel waved Philippine and Vietnamese flags and a brass band played in the morning sun in Manila harbor, a 2,400-ton Vietnamese coast guard vessel with a crew of 80 docked.

Several officers from the lower and upper decks of the 90-meter white vessel saluted. During their stay in Manila, the two coast guards are expected to hold talks and visit each other's vessels.

They will conduct joint search and rescue exercises and fire and explosion contingency drills in Manila Bay, on the northwest coast of the Philippines facing the South China Sea.

"This is a good model, a good way to de-escalate the situation," said Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo. "It shows that even rival parties can have the opportunity to strengthen relations."

Colonel Hoang Quoc Dat, who led the Vietnamese Coast Guard delegation, said in a speech that their visit to Manila port was a way to strengthen "the cooperative relationship between the two countries for mutual benefit."

"This will promote and enhance the efficiency of information sharing and coordination in maritime law enforcement, in accordance with international law," he said, adding that such friendly collaboration contributes to "maintaining and protecting maritime security and safety in the region." (Quoted from NHK World Japan)***