A Vietnamese coast guard ship arrived in Manila on Monday (Aug. 5) for a four-day friendship visit and joint exercises as the two countries seek to put aside their own territorial disputes in a bid to counter rising tensions with China over control of key sites in the South China Sea.
The Philippines and Vietnam have been among the most vocal critics of China’s increasingly hostile actions in the disputed waters, a key global trade and security route. The two Southeast Asian neighbors have overlapping claims in the busy sea lane along with Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The dispute is considered a “flashpoint” or trigger for conflict in Asia and a “fault line” or weak spot in the U.S.-China regional rivalry.
In a welcome, host coast guard personnel raised Philippine and Vietnamese flags and a military band played wind instruments under the morning sun in Manila harbor as the 2,400-ton Vietnamese coast guard vessel with 80 crew members docked. Some of the ship's officers saluted from the lower and upper decks of the 90-meter-long white vessel.
During their stay in Manila, the two coast guards are scheduled to hold talks and visit each other's ships. They will conduct search and rescue exercises and fire and explosion drills in Manila Bay, which is located on the western coast of the northern Philippines facing the South China Sea.
“This is a good example, a good way to de-escalate the situation,” said Philippine coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo. “It shows that even countries with overlapping claims have the opportunity to foster relationships.”
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 “cooperative relations between the two countries for mutual benefit.”
“This will promote and enhance efficiency in information sharing and coordination in maritime law enforcement, in accordance with international law,” he said, adding that friendly collaboration contributes to “preserving and protecting maritime security and safety in the region.” (lt/uh)
