South China Sea: Philippines, Australia start joint patrols amid Beijing tensions

Philippine President Marcos Jnr said the three-day sea and air drills are a ‘practical manifestation of the growing defence partnership’ between the two sides

China has accused Manila of enlisting ‘foreign forces’ to patrol the disputed waterway

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Philippine and US warships conduct an exercise in the South China Sea on November 23. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

Published: 12:43pm, 25 Nov 2023

The Philippines and Australia began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, days after Manila took similar steps with the US as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China.

The three-day exercises, announced by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on social media, follow discussions by the Philippines and Australia early this year on joint patrols to underscore what they say is their commitment to a rules-based order.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis.

The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China’s “aggressive activities” in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and US tensions around naval operations.

“Australia and the Philippines are firmly committed to peaceful, secure and prosperous region, where sovereignty and agreed rules and norms are respected,” Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in a joint statement posted by Marcos.