Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Vietnam’s minister of national defense General Phan Van Giang. PHOTO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. extended Philippines’ appreciation to Vietnam for supporting Manila’s position on the South China Sea arbitration as he met his Hanoi counterpart for the first time.
Teodoro and Vietnam’s minister of national defense General Phan Van Giang met on the sidelines of the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus held in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 16, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Thursday.
“Secretary Teodoro then expressed his appreciation for Viet Nam’s support on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award and the Philippines’ position on the matter,” the DND said in a statement.
China asserts sovereignty to almost the entire South China Sea with its claims overlapping with the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Philippines and Vietnam.
Parts of the South China Sea inside the Philippines’ EEZ are locally referred to as the West Philippine Sea.
In 2013, the Philippines, brought China before an arbitral tribunal under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) where Manila and Beijing are both signatories.
China rejected the tribunal’s jurisdiction on the case.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry, on the other hand, said the tribunal has jurisdiction to settle disputes concerning the interpretation of the Unclos, according to a Vera Files report in 2014.
In 2016, an arbitral award was issued by the tribunal, effectively rejecting China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, Teodoro and Phan also emphasized the need for both countries to strengthen their maritime capabilities and resilience, as well as the continuing interaction between their two armed forces and the collaboration among their major services to enhance interoperability.