FILE PHOTO: A Vietnamese naval soldier stands guard at Thuyen Chai island in the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea in this file photo taken on January 17, 2013. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all claim territory in the sea, which covers important shipping routes and is thought to hold untapped oil and gas reserves. REUTERS/Quang Le/File Photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on incident prevention in the South China Sea, said the Palace on Tuesday.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the MOUs were signed during a bilateral meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng.
“The two nations agreed to enhance coordination regarding maritime issues bilaterally, within the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and with other dialogue partners, with both sides intensifying efforts to promote trust, confidence, and understanding, through dialogue and cooperative activities,” said the PCO in a statement.
Both the Philippines and Vietnam have territories in the South China Sea, where China had staked its claim in the majority of the area.
Beijing’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (the area of the South China Sea that falls inside the country’s exclusive economic zone) escalated in 2023, with incidents ranging from Chinese vessels ramming into Philippine boats or the use of water cannons against government personnel.
During the meeting, other agreements were signed as well.
“The Philippines and VietNam on Tuesday signed agreements on rice trade cooperation, incident prevention and management in the South China Sea, agriculture and cultural cooperation during the state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to Viet Nam,” said the PCO
READ: PCG briefs Vietnam officials ahead of Marcos’ Hanoi trip
All the MOUs signed are as follows:
- Rice Trade Cooperation
- Incident Prevention and Management in the South China Sea
- Agriculture and Related Fields
- Understanding between the Philippine Coast Guard and the VietNam Coast Guard on Maritime Cooperation
- Cultural Cooperation Program between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Republic of the
- Philippines and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the Period of 2024-2029