Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling parts of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, confirmed the Philippines’ armed forces on Monday. This came at a time when President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi.
The two-day patrolling includes three Indian Navy ships, which started a day before Marcos left on an official trip where he is supposed to meet Prime Minister Modi. The Philippines has increased its defence cooperation with several allies over the past year after repeated clashes with the Chinese Navy in the disputed sea.
Beijing claims the entirety of South China despite the international ruling, which was announced without Beijing’s presence. In a response to the arbitration body’s ruling, the Chinese foreign ministry recently said the ruling does not apply to China since it does not recognise the claim.
China and India are diplomatic and military competitors in the South Asia and Southeast Asia region, where both are trying to assert dominance over the region. The Indian naval ships participating in the patrolling exercise included the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, which arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week.
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China and India have also engaged in border clashes in the Ladakh area, where the two militaries have still been locked in a standoff since 2020 after Chinese troops entered Indian territory following the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Beijing has repeatedly alleged that the four-way partnership, first conceived by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was created as a way of containing China.
The QUAD group, according to China, is somehow meant to contain China’s rise of influence in the region as a global economic and military superpower after the US.
Also Read: Why India-Philippines patrol in South China Sea irks Beijing?
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